Dark Matter | JJK

6. Forgive, Don't Forget

A gust of wind greeted her as Petra pushed open the doors of the cafeteria. She balanced an enormous pile of books in one hand while stuffing files in her backpack with the other, the exhaustion of working nonstop from seven a.m. until early afternoon finally overwhelming her. Perhaps interning under Professor Kang on his Genome research project had been a hasty, imprudent decision on her part, given the steadily-rising mound of homework cluttered on her study table back at home. But the internship paid a price too good to miss, and Petra needed all the money she could get at the moment.

Out of all the cafeterias within the university campus, this was one of her least favourites. Always overcrowded with energetic students and reeking of sweat, it often suffocated the air out of her lungs. But what dragged her limbs to this hellhole were the cheap prices and short distance from the class she attended right before their dispersal.

So, adjusting the straps of her bag and sighing out of resignation, Petra sauntered towards the line behind the coffee machine. She wasn't looking at anyone in particular, eyes idly roaming from one orange-painted wall to another, when her gaze accidentally fell on a mop of raven hair.

She almost wished she was blind.

Jeon Jungkook sat amidst a huge group of boys and girls from their year, all shiny leather jackets and expensive maxi dresses, rhythmically bobbing his head to their animated chatter as a subtly sophisticated smile graced his chiseled features. His arm was draped around the seat of a girl with choppy black hair and purple highlights who sat uncomfortably close to him, her hand teasingly massaging his thigh. Petra internally grimaced when she parted her glossy lips to pass a comment and Jungkook turned to her with half-lidded eyes, clearly enjoying the situation. Just as he opened his mouth to respond, his eyes flitted to Petra's.

His lips parted mid-sentence, holding her gaze. The girl next to him followed his line of sight, craning her neck to find whatever or whoever had disrupted their conversation. She turned back to him and said something, to which Jungkook shook his head with a reassuring smile.

Petra averted her gaze.

Arrogant douchebag, she thought.

Ungrateful skunk.

Petra was not one to hold grudges against people. She could afford neither the time nor the energy to constantly resent someone who cheated her or insulted her or borrowed her pen in class without ever bothering to return it. Although she would never forget, she forgave easily and moved on. One was required to possess an impressive capacity to annoy in order to truly piss her off.

And this man, right there, had challenged all her existing boundaries of civility.

Damn her for ever agreeing to fulfill Professor Lee's god-awful request. Damn her for going out of her own way, for finding time in her already busy schedule, for approaching Jungkook and telling him her name. Damn her for thinking he would ever appreciate her attempts at friendship. Damn her for ever sharing her opinions on faith with a hard-headed arse like him. Damn her for silently listening to him while he insulted her on her face.

Damn her.

Petra had to stop breathing for a while to tame her pounding heart. What was she doing? What good was it to call him names now? As distressed as he'd appeared that day, it didn't compare to how much he seemed to be enjoying himself in the company of the popular kids.

Maybe those were his types of people. Confident. Outgoing. Loud. Petra was none of those. It was obvious he found her unattractive; she was just not his type. And there was nothing she could do about it. So like all other times, she would forgive him. Hold no grudges. But that did not mean she would let him degrade her like he did the previous time. She would stay away from him, because only she could save herself from getting hurt.