HER

pt. 18 Surprise

Three days had passed since that awkward lunch, and I sat at my desk unable to concentrate.
I kept glancing at my phone.
A message from Melissa telling me about a bakery she found down the road from my apartment.
One from Jimin inviting me and Melissa over for a "chill, relaxed" night.
And another from my mom asking what I was doing for Thanksgiving even though I'm not in the States.
I sighed. I hadn't heard from Taehyung since the day before, which was only a short conversation about an artist I discovered while searching for inspiration for my new project.
I hadn't seen him since that weird lunch.
What did I do to upset him?
"JOSEPHINE!" Seokjin shouted, slamming a folder in front of me.
"What the---" I jumped back in alarm. "Why are you yelling at me!?"
"I said your name five times and you just sat there, staring at your phone!" He exclaimed.
I opened my mouth to argue but I vaguely recalled hearing his voice moments earlier. "Sorry." I mumbled, putting my phone away.
He sat on my desk pointing at the folder. "I need you to go through these contacts and see if we can use them. Chaeyoung was adamant about all of them but I need you to accept them to."
I pushed the folder away. "I'm sure they're fine. She seems to know what she's doing."
He frowned at me. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing." I replied, my hand going to my phone by reflex.
I snatched it away.
I am not going to look at it again.
"Um..Is something going on with Tae?" He sounded awkward but genuinely concerned.
I sighed with frustration. "Yeah." I placed my elbow on the desk, resting my chin in my hand. "He hasn't really been wanting to talk to me for the last few days."
"Ah.." Seokjin said. "Do you want me to talk to him?"
I shook my head. "Thank you but no... You don't have to do that. I'm sure it's nothing."
Seokjin sighed in frustration himself. "Taehyung is... Different. I'd compare him to wild fire." He explained. "He's very passionate, and knows what he likes. But he can also be... Finicky."
I frowned. "What do you mean?"
Seokjin threw his hands up defensively. "I'm not insinuating anything, I promise. I'm just letting you know that he... Err, doesn't like to stay still very long."
I jumped to my feet. "Are you saying he's seeing other girls?"
Seokjin's eyes widened, leaning back in surprise. "That's not what I'm saying exactly. I just---" he sighed again, "Look, from what I saw at lunch the other day, you both haven't talked about what you want from your relationship. It might be that you want different things."
I glared at him. "What do you know what I want?"
His furrowed his eyebrows at me before looking away. "Absolutely nothing." He muttered under his breath.
I was so frustrated, I snatched my blazer off my chair and grabbed my belongings. "You're right. You don't know anything. You don't know ME. So stay out of it." I picked up the folder and tossed it at him. "Just focus on our project and your girlfriend and leave me alone."
I stormed out of our office.
I was just so heated.
I stopped by Lee Gun Ho's office to excuse myself for the day.
He was chatting with Chaeyoung.
"Josephine! How are y---" he must've seen the look on my face, his voice trailed off.
"I'm leaving for the day. I have a holiday from my country that I forgot about that I need to celebrate." I didn't give two shits about Thanksgiving but I was going to use the hell out of it.
"What holiday is that?" Chaeyoung asked.
"The one that celebrates my ancestors committing genocide to conquer the land their own offspring destroyed." I snapped.
I turned to Lee Gun Ho and said more politely, "Good day, sir."
I stomped off before he could reply.
I felt like a blaze of fury as I made my way home.
I was mad at Taehyung for blowing me off all of a sudden.
I was mad a Seokjin for his comments and being so confusing.
I was mad at this stupid project.
But mostly I was just mad at myself.
You leave home to travel halfway around the world to focus on yourself and career yet here you are fretting about boys again.
You're pathetic, Josephine.
I stomped up to my apartment and swung the door open, only to have my raging cold fury melt away.
Melissa had apparently been cooking all day.
All of the traditional foods were present, displayed on my kitchen island. Melissa was at the stove with Jimin, both of them in conversing in English as they helped each other decorate a cake.
Melissa looked over at me, surprised. "I didn't think you'd be home for another few hours!"
"W-what is all this?" I asked.
Jimin laughed, clapping his hands with joy. "Your friend told me about your American holiday and asked if I could help surprise you." He set his icing down and hugged me. "She tells me you've been working very hard, noona. It's always best to take a break every now and then, or you'll wear yourself out."
I couldn't help but smile.
"You were right about all of Taehyung's friends being gorgeous." Melissa said as she put the finishing touch on the cake. "Though I've only met Jimin and Yoongi."
Yoongi...?
I looked around for him until I saw a slender pale arm reach up from my couch. "Ay Josephine." He called out.
"He's so lazy." Jimin laughed. "But he'll help clean up. Right, my love?"
Yoongi sat up, his expression incredulous. "I work hard, Jimin. You said yourself that one shouldn't overwork themselves."
Jimin rolled his eyes. He smiled at me. "I have to go get wine though. That is one thing I forgot."
"Rosé!" Melissa called out to him. They shared a laugh as if it were an inside joke.
"I'll go." I offered. "Its the least I can do."
Jimin accepted. "Yoongi can go with you. You won't be able to carry all the bottles we will need."
Yoongi sighed, dramatically.