The Babysitting Contract | j.jk

04 • contract

Damn. She may have a point.

I swallow down a wave of nerves, thoughts trailing from my Biology notebook. Over the past couple of days I've somewhat warmed up to the idea of living at the Jeon's: it'll just be like babysitting Iseul (plus a set of twins and Jeongguk) for a little while (three weeks, to be exact) and accidentally sleeping over (for twenty-one days in a row).

So all in all, not totally unbearable.

One might even say it could be slightly tolerable.

Besides, I practically already live at their house (what with babysitting Iseul three school days a week plus a smattering of occasions on weekends). How different could this really be?

"Heads up!"

My head whips towards the sound. Everything is clearer, sharper, and before my brain is capable of fully absorbing the situation, my body acts on its own accord, curling in on itself and ducking low. The football touches down where I'd been sitting moments ago with a resounding smack! spraying my papers and notes everywhere.

"Sorry!"

I lift from my crouch to see Jeongguk, the evident thrower of the death projectile, jogging across the field towards us in his hulking football uniform. He cards a hand through his sweat-slicked hair as he runs, an open-mouthed smile shining on his face.

Eyes glittering and not looking the slightest bit apologetic, he calls out, "it was an accident!"

I glower at him. "So was the Y chromosome but you don't see me throwing shit at it!"

In the heat of the moment my outburst rings louder than intended across the field, causing some of the players to turn and look up at the bleachers curiously. While I blush and duck my head, Nayeon (having pulled herself out of her fetal position) takes the sudden attention in a stride, tossing her violet hair and waggling her fingers in a flirtatious wave.

I swear I catch Kim Seokjin do a double-take.

While I scramble for my Biology notes, Jeongguk effortlessly hops the fence and takes the stairs three at a time, his long legs eating up the distance between us. I tense as he approaches, preparing to be ignored in favour of the football but am left utterly bewildered as he crouches beside me and wordlessly begins collecting papers and pencils.

We haven't outright spoken since the engagement party, though every pore in my body is screaming at me to tear him to shreds. I'm still peeved that he felt the need to keep me in the dark about everything.

"Here," he says when he's done, scratching the nape of his neck as he hands the pile to me.

"Thanks," I mumble, tentatively accepting before beginning to shift through them. It'll take me some time to organize them all again and I fight to keep my sigh internal.

"No probl-"

"Jeon!" My head jerks at the sound of a deep, angered voice that pierces the air to see the football coach - a short, stout man - gesturing wildly at Jeongguk. I can imagine steam pouring from his ears. "Stop dilly-dallying and get your ass back on the field!"

Jeongguk purses his lips and reaches for the football but remains standing before me. His fingers fit easily in the grooves as he moves the ball hand to hand, shifting awkwardly. I'm about to ask what he's still doing here when he bites his lip and looks up at Nayeon, some unknown message passing between him and my best friend.