STRAY // JJK x HYBRID (bunny)✔️ Re-Writing

CHAPTER 25

BO-YOUNG

"You need to promise me that you won't judge," Jungkook says, his hand resting on his doorknob.

"Judge you for what?" I ask, confused.
Jungkook turns his back against the door, leaning against it as he leans down, his face serious.

"Promise me that there'll be zero judgment," he demands. I can see the corners of his mouth twitching upwards as if Jungkook were holding back a smile.

"Jeez, okay. I promise that I won't judge," I give in, too eager to see his room to care about any promises made or to be broken.

Jungkook holds up his pinky, the same serious look on his face. I link my pinky with his, struggling not to burst out in laughter. Jungkook grins as he opens his room's door. He moves aside, inviting me in.

Inside, there is a mess of half-painted canvases and art supplies. Balanced on a stool, I see an expensive-looking leather briefcase, which is filled to the brim with equally expensive looking painting supplies. On the large, birchwood easel situated in the corner of the room, opposite from the door, is a canvas with a gorgeous painting of scenery. A pier, in the summertime, with orange blooms covering the small part of the marsh at the edges of the wooden dock.

"It's beautiful. How long did it take you?" I ask Jungkook, walking into the room. I tread carefully, making sure not to step onto any of the papers strewn across the floor.

"It's not done yet. It's taken me around a week, thus far. I'm still planning on adding the buildings in the back," he explains, following me in. He walks in more carelessly than I do, stepping onto a couple of papers. "You see, over here, there is an old mansion. I never found out who lived there. I just assumed that whoever lived there was either a recluse or a ghost."

I look at him in surprise before asking: "You lived there? It's a real place?"

"Indeed it is. I lived there as a child. I still own the property there, but I rarely visit. I don't really have a reason to visit anymore," he smiles as he tells me about his childhood home.

"Well, now you do." I nudge him with my elbow.

"I do?" he asks me.

"Yes, because I want to see where you grew up. It looks beautiful," I laugh, surprised about how thick he can be.

"It's going to be quite cold. The painting is of how it is in the summer, so I doubt you'd like to visit now. We can go next year, though," he suggests.

"I doubt there is a place that isn't beautiful in the autumn," I tell him, sitting down on his bed. Jungkook shrugs.

"That's true, for the most part. It's going to be very cold and windy, though. Are you sure you'd be up for that?" he asks, sitting next to me as he speaks.

"'Scuse me? Of course, I'm up for it. Just bring blankets," I chuckle. I love how Jungkook forgets that I used to spend whole winters with minimal warmth and clothing when I was a stray.

"Ah, yes. Sure, we can go. When do you want to leave?" he asks. His phone begins to buzz, a short melody playing with the alarm. "The pizza is ready. Let's go take it out, and then we can put toppings on it."

Jungkook and I walk out of his room, Jungkook stepping on many more papers in the process. I wince when I see the path of crumpled papers Jungkook leaves behind him.

The smell of pizza fills the air as Jungkook carefully pulls out the pan, lifting it onto the stovetop. The pizza, which is only crust and tomato sauce so far, smells amazing. Jungkook places the bowl full of chopped mushrooms next to the pan, then lifting the rest.

"You know, these are well cut, seeing as it is your first time," he compliments, as he inspects the mushrooms. Junkook picks off a small piece of fried bacon from one of the plates.

"Aye, eat it when it's on the pizza," I scold, smacking him on the arm as he laughs.

"Come here, let's place the toppings," he says, pulling me towards him, careful not to bring me too close to the scalding metal pan.

Jungkook begins spreading the cheese over the tomato sauce as if he'd done it his whole life. "Here, you can start adding the sliced tomatoes," he instructs, passing me a bowl. I do as he says.

"Answering your question before, I have no clue when we can leave. I don't know when you'll have time off from work," I tell him as I clumsily spread the tomatoes. One side ends up having more than the other, but Jungkook doesn't seem to mind.

"I can take a week off whenever. I've never taken time off, so they can't complain," he says, too concentrated on adding the mushrooms to emote properly.

"I'm too indecisive to choose. When would you suggest we go?" I ask him.

"We could go next week? We could leave this Sunday, and come back on the following Saturday. That'd give us five days there if we don't count the days of traveling," he suggests. "It takes just about six hours to get there, so if we leave at around midday, we will be there in the evening. The taxi ride is around an hour," he explains.

"So seven in the evening," I clarify.

"Yes, if you count the taxi ride."

Jungkook lifts the pizza back into the oven, setting a timer shorter than the last.
"Okay, I'll get us train tickets for this Sunday. Just a fair warning, we're going to have to fix up the place a little bit," he says, looking at me with his lips pursed. He doesn't look angry though since he still has the same playful glimmer in his eyes.

"Hell yes! I can't wait. Do you have a boat?" I ask him, getting sidetracked very quickly.

"Uh, yes. A small rowing boat which has been under a tarp in the garage there for a year or so," he says, looking like he's thinking intently.
"If it's in working order, we can go rowing. We could take some cool pictures," I suggest.

"Sounds good to me. We're going to have to get you a phone before then, though. I don't want you getting lost in the marsh."

1085 words

(An: This was written on my phone. Sorry about any mistakes I've made in this chapter.)