Aftertaste | J.JK

The Taste of You

My brows furrow. "The dirt will taste even worse?"

"Yes, but—" He suddenly frowns, eyes scrunching together. "Sorry, but can you go all the way over there? Your smell is so powerful, it's killing me."

My eyes go wide with surprise, and I press myself up against the opposite wall to try to make it better for him. When he hears me apologize, he smiles forcefully.

"It's not your fault your scent is so addictive. Just give me a second, okay?"

When I nod, he disappears.

Then he appears again, this time with a packet of red fluid. When he turns the packet over to stick a straw in it, I can see it reads Tomato Juice.

I don't mean to sound rude, but I didn't think that was going to fool anyone into thinking that the thick red substance was really what it said on the outside.

"That's slightly better," He remarks as he tosses the empty pack into the trash beside my desk. "Not as hungry anymore, so more control. Do you get it?"

I nod.

"So that tastes like dirt." I point at the trash, indicating its content. "What do I taste like?"

Jungkook breathes slowly, closing his eyes as if he was enjoying the afternoon breeze. When he opens them again, he looks euphoric.

"You smell like gardenia. Therefore you taste absolutely fantastic." He licks his lips, looking at me curiously.

"You don't seem very afraid for a person who just got kissed by a vampire."

My face flushes with red.

"What do you mean kissed? You bit me. There's a huge difference between the two, Jungkook."

He looks amused at my blushed cheeks, as if his wasn't reacting the same way.

"In vampire dictionary, both are the same thing. Either way, lips touch skin, doesn't it?"

A devilish smile lights up his face as he watches me flush even deeper.

"Don't tell me that you're shy because all I did was switch up the definitions a little bit?" He asks teasingly, and I glare at him with what venom I can muster up.

Which doesn't turn out to be much.

"You're adorable," He admits when I throw the blanket over my head. I can't see him anymore, but that's good because that means he can't see me either.

And with the shade my face is taking on, I didn't even want my mother to see me.

With the blanket still securely over me, I smile.

"You're adorable, too."

"No, I'm not. Maybe back when I was eight, but I'm eighteen now, okay? Things have changed."

I would deny that wholly and absolutely if Jin's advice didn't remind itself in my head. That he had dignity and I wasn't supposed to try and knock it down.

So I open my mouth to agree when the blanket is suddenly flung out of my loosened grip, now in Jungkook's grasp instead of mine. He smiles triumphantly as I stare at him, utterly dumbfounded.

"Come on, Elle. Just because it's strong doesn't mean it's beautiful."

I'm still confused.

"What is?"

"Your scent." Now he's the one who's looking puzzled, brows furrowing together. "You were trying to muffle it with the blanket, weren't you?"

Before I can give a reply, the air suddenly changes. Jungkook's eyes go wide when Jimin appears out of nowhere, his ash hair a mess and his eyelids closing with exhaustion.

"Jimin hyung?"

"Jimin?"

When we both exclaim in surprise, Jimin's bloodshot eyes go circular with shock. He whips toward Jungkook, his head tilted up into the air.

A shiver crawls up my spine, and I brace myself for what he would say next.

"Explain, Jungkook." Jimin snarls, his voice suddenly animalistic. It reminds me of Jungkook's when he had gotten angry, and I swallow as I watch his eyes shift from a dark brown to a glowing storm gray.

"Why I smell freaking gardenia all over this room." His vampire eyes flash briefly to me, and his face contorts with fury as he roars.

"And are those holes in her neck?"

Jungkook gulps, and I hurry to intervene before Jimin tore the maknae into pieces. My voice is urgent as I rush between the two, creating a barrier.

Weak, but a barrier nonetheless.

"Jimin, it's okay." I say, feeling the intensity of his narrowed eyes. Vampires were terrifying when they got angry. "He didn't have blood to drink last night, and he never meant to take some from me. It was just a drop or two. And then he pulled away."

When his eyes don't change back, I nearly think he's going to have my head. And if it wasn't just my imagination, it seemed like the gray was growing heavier.

Thankfully, though, the original dark returns.

"You better not be lying," Jimin accuses, his fists clenching and loosening back again. "Jungkook knows that this isn't allowed. He can't give in to his instincts, or what happened before will happen again."