CHAPTER 13
Song Areum
The sun was barely visible against the dark shade of indigo sky on a rainy day.
It was early and it was Areum's first morning in Chicago as she arrived late in the afternoon yesterday. She'd been in contact with her parents, Mr. Kim and Manager Ye Jin about her plans to join the band's world tour for 5 months before they come back to Korea. Areum had to stay behind for a few days in Los Angeles before booking a flight to join the members on the road.
After her serious talk with Namjoon, she had realized that she ally herself got stuck way beneath the surface where it was impossible for her to swim back up. It wasn't Luke's passing that took her there nor was it her fear of Elijah that imprisoned her into the dark void she was in. It was herself who was destroying her, and everyone around her.
Areum thought she was in chaos, but she was one with chaos.
Jana was supportive of Areum's decision to leave Los Angeles for a while, she said that was exactly what Areum needed to heal. Jana took it well when Areum had told her about Namjoon's proposal for Areum to join the tour and go home to Korea together. She needed to be away and get rid of the fear that suffocated her so she could finally go home to her family and start a new life away from the agony she'd been carrying for months.
Areum had left and sold all her belongings including her cellphone in Los Angeles, hence why she had to buy a new one in Chicago. The police have suggested to get rid of all their personal belongings that may possibly be tracked to avoid interference from Elijah. They gave up their apartment and paid for the damages while Jana got a small place near her manager's apartment while Areum rode to San Francisco to put some of her Medicine books and lectures in her aunt's house before she flew to Chicago. For now, she was far from Los Angeles and Elijah Davis.
Areum only slept for 3 hours or so, she had been sitting in the kitchen with her now cold tea for a few hours as she watched the rain showered the grass and trees outside the sliding doors in the dining area.
There was a gentle tapping of small raindrops against the window, the kind of weather she liked. It used to be her main excuse for not leaving the house back in Los Angeles—whenever it rarely rained back there. It was Luke's favorite weather too. They both liked the cold, and the scent of the rain when it touched the surface of the earth, and the sound of it that can't be defined as annoying or relaxing. Maybe even both.
She got up from her seat and washed the mug she used on the sink once she noticed the sky was getting lighter and the rain finally stopping. All the members collapsed in their bedrooms early last night from a slight fever from the rain and fatigue during the concert. Jin and Jungkook had it worse though. Both had high fever all night and suffered from sore throats and colds. Areum had made all of them some ginger tea and gave them Vitamin C before bed to boost their immune system a little bit. She had also talked to the director to let the boys rest for today to regain their strength while Manager Ye Jin insisted with her. The cameras set up in the whole house have been covered and turned off for the members' privacy and day off.
Manager Ye Jin bought some ingredients from the shops last night when Areum informed him that she wanted to make breakfast and soup for the boys. He wasn't as stern as Mr. Kim which Areum found relief from. She didn't have to beg Manager Ye Jin to help the boys, in truth, he was more than happy to hear Areum's initiative to help the members.
Areum prepared dashi last night, which was basically a pot of water with dried anchovies, gim or 'dried korean seaweed' and some dried shiitake mushrooms that she had soaked overnight to add more flavor to the kimchi jjigae she's making. Dashi was basically a natural MSG that some older women in Korea often use to add more flavor to every soup they make. She set the dashi aside and went ahead to chop some scallions, minced garlic, sliced the tofu and pork belly before she took the already fermented kimchi from the refrigerator and set it along with the other ingredients she had prepared.
The gloomy weather was considerate that even the staff were all still deep in their slumber. Areum grabbed a huge pot from the cupboard and placed it on top of the stove as silence filled her ears, the sensation almost felt like the deafening silence from her night terrors, where only Elijah's laugh dominated all sounds.
She squeezed her eyes shut, shaking off her recollection of the nightmare she gets every night.
Areum grabbed her phone from the dining table as well as the pair of wireless AirPods. She opened her music app and scrolled through a couple playlists she managed to organize throughout the years, it was a good thing her music was sync into her email account and not on the device itself, if otherwise, she would have lost all her music playlist that she compiled all those years. Areum had a thing for creating a variety of playlists according to her moods, days, and activities. Subsequently, she had bought all BTS songs from their first album to the recent, she did it to support Namjoon because she always admired his work. Then, she came to know that each member had varying contributions in every single song they produce, she started looking up to them all—Yoongi for one, he has an extraordinary gift in producing music, no matter what genre it was. Everything about their work has meaning. Namjoon has found people with the same mindset as him; they weren't making music for the sake of doing it. They were using music to make a change—to make a difference.
She knew right then, Namjoon and those 6 men with him, would have a great impact in the music industry.
Areum tapped on her BTS playlist as the song played in shuffle—perhaps today's mood is another dead end. BTS songs could cure that.
The first song that came through her earbuds was 'Go go' as she turned on the stove and poured enough oil into the pot. Good shuffle, she needed an uplifting melody after a sleepless night. She grabbed a ladle, swaying her hips through the beat of the song.
Areum heard Jimin's part came on and she smiled as she lip sync with his voice. His voice was soft yet compelling. The pot quickly heat up as she put a good amount of pork belly into it, putting salt to taste as she stir fried the pork on the pot. Once the pork was slightly cooked and had released too much fat, she immediately added the minced garlic and kimchi to stir along with the pork for about 2-3 minutes in medium heat. Her attention was solely focused on the meal she was making, and the song that she was listening to—forgetting about the place she'd escaped or how she left her best friend there all by herself.
Music had always been her free transportation to Neverland, she grew up learning to make it and love it then eventually leaving it behind because she knew she's needed for something greater in another field. Nonetheless, she needed music as much as she needed oxygen to live. Areum may have quit making music for a long time, but it will always be where half of her soul belonged.
She continued to hum with the song on her tiptoes as she synchronized her hips slightly to every beat. Her mind is finally settling down in peace, the melody from her ears brought herself back to life when a gentle tap on her shoulder brought her back into reality, making her jump in shock as if her heart had been dropped to the ground.
Areum grabbed both of the tiny devices from her ears, turning towards where the surprising presence came from.
"Good morning," Jungkook greeted her with a hoarse voice.
His eyes tired and half opened as he innocently stood in front of her. He didn't even mind his disheveled hair that was slightly parted in the middle. Areum glared at him for a second before calming herself and placing her AirPods onto the kitchen counter across the stove.
"You scared me." she stated, irritated but without any intentions to sound rude. "Why are you up so early?"
Jungkook glanced over the pot before Areum pushed him gently aside to put the dashi into the boiling pot.
"Sorry." Jungkook apologized weakly. "I smelled something so I came to check."
Areum narrowed her eyes at him, studying his weak figure before putting her hand against his forehead to check his temperature. His fever must've gone down overnight.
"You can smell the kimchi from the second floor?" she asked casually, grabbing his hand to confirm his temperature.
"I slept on the couch. Jin-hyung was too hot beside me." he answered, his lips slightly pouting from being still half-asleep. It must've been uncomfortable for him last night. Areum didn't even notice his sleeping figure in the living room when she came down earlier.
Areum stepped away from him to put the tofu and scallions over the soup before putting the lid on to heat up everything for 3 more minutes.
"Sit down. The soup's almost done. I'll heat up some rice for you." she said, motioning him to stay at the dining area.
Jungkook walkef over to the fridge, grabbing two bowls of instant rice. "I'll do it." he then proceeded to peel the lid off the rice a little bit before putting both into the microwave.
"I'll make you some tea, then." she told him.
"Ginger tastes funny." Areum grinned at the tone of his voice. He didn't like the ginger tea she made last night.
Jungkook leaned on the kitchen counter, his eyes closed and his arms crossed over his chest as he stood in front of Areum. His bare face made him look younger despite her towering height compared to her.
"Green tea, it is." she chuckled quietly before heating up the water and tearing one packet of green tea.
"You're up early." Jungkook murmured.
"I always wake up early." she told him while making the hot tea for the sick.
Truth was, she didn't think she even slept at all.
He eyed her as she finished making the hot beverage before turning off the heat under the pot of Kimchi Jjigae. Areum made her way towards his sleepy figure as she warmed her hands around the hot mug of tea.
"Why don't you go back to sleep after eating, yeah?" She handed him his tea before taking out the rice from the microwave.
Areum grabbed a bowl from the cupboard and absentmindedly poured a generous amount of soup into it out of habit. She sets the rice and bowl onto the kitchen counter where Jungkook took a seat and took a clean spoon and disposable chopsticks before placing it neatly in front of him.
He stared at the big bowl in front of him, before he glanced up at her. His eyes looked more awake than before.
"Aren't you eating with me?" he asked her.
"I already had some tea." she answered, leaning on the kitchen counter as she gawked at him slightly.
"That's not breakfast. Eat with me," Jungkook hands her a bowl of rice and his spoon before walking to one of the drawers to get him a new one.
He sat back down across her, gently pushing the bowl of jjigae in the middle, closer to Areum. "You put too much on my bowl anyway."
She wavered her gaze from him as she looked down on the big bowl of soup in front of them.
"Sorry." she murmured. "I used to live with 2 people. We share plates when we eat. Were too lazy to do the dishes, it's a problem."
"You want to share one with me?"
Areum glanced up at him and noticed a grin plastered on his face as he swiftly split his chopsticks with his sleek fingers. She never realized she could be chatty or even enjoy someone's company with just the two of them alone to the point where she didn't want to leave him alone.
He took a piece of meat with kimchi and placed it on top of his rice before taking his spoon to taste the soup. She watched him closely, curious about how the meal turned out from his perspective.
Jungkook took a generous sip from his spoon, closing his eyes as he swallowed the hot liquid. He moaned quietly in response as he took another scoop from the bowl, nodding his head as if he was enjoying it.
"The kimchi was from the shops, I'm not sure if it turned out well." Areum explained defensively.
"Masitda." he gave her a thumbs up, eating another piece of meat and another scoop of soup. "It's really good. . . so good."
Areum sucked on one side of her cheek to cover the smile of relief that formed her lips. She watched him as he ate peacefully and constantly praised the soup she made. Jungkook had his brows furrowed, as he stuffed his mouth with the meal. He looked like a kid enjoying a meal that his mother had made for him.
Even when he eats quietly and has a bed head, he looked angelic, so beautiful—the kind where it'd be a waste of time to blink while looking at him. She studied him as if he was the most fascinating human she'd ever laid eyes on, perhaps because he was. The more she looked at him, the greater urge she got to take care of him.
His lips slightly swelled up from the spicy taste of the soup. Jungkook wiped the sweat that formed on his temple before stuffing his face once more with breakfast. Areum bit her lower lip before taking some tissue paper from the countertop and walked beside him.
She folded the tissue paper as she raised her hand to dry his forehead and temples.
"Aigoo, you're eating so well." she murmured with a smile before proceeding to his neck, patting the tissue against his exposed skin that had a few drops of sweat.
Jungkook stopped chewing his food as he stared back in her direction, their faces only a few inches away. Areum soon stopped what she was doing, realizing the gesture she made. His eyes bore into hers, yet there was no way to figure out what he was thinking. She blinked a few times, unable to move.
Areum realized one of her hands was on top of his shoulder and the other on the side of his neck, holding a piece of paper towel to wipe his sweat—since when did they became that close.
She retrieved her hand from his shoulder while the other slowly created a distance from his neck before he grabbed her wrist, gently placing it back close to his neck.
He placed her hand with the paper towel back against his neck before casually chewing on his food once again, his eyes left hers as he took another scoop of soup into his mouth.
"Gwenchana," he told her.
Areum stood frozen for a moment before clearing her throat and stepping away from him, walking back into her place across Jungkook, where the kitchen counter separated them. He watched her as she got back to her place, there was always something about him that made him look so much younger than his age, like an innocent child that doesn't disobey.
"Don't you want to eat?" he asked her.
Areum instantly tried to get herself together before she responded. "I'm already full just by watching you eat. Jal motta."
Jungkook quickly chewed the food in his mouth before swallowing as he shifted on his seat, his eyes fixed on Areum.
"Areum-ssi." he muttered. "Do you feel uncomfortable around me?"
She turned her head slightly on the side, a bit surprised from his sudden question. Areum didn't answer. There were times where she felt too happy—never uncomfortable being in the same room as Jungkook, she never knew why.
It was true that she got along with the rest of the members quickly except Jungkook. She's always been confident at making friends with other people if she wanted to, but it was only Jungkook she found tough to build a platonic friendship with.
"You're not as close with me as you are with everyone." he added.
"You never really talked to me the few times I came to visit them in LA." Areum conceded.
Jungkook avoided her gaze in defeat.
"Clean slate then?" she asked.
He glanced up at her, his eyes brighter than before as if his smile started from his beautiful dark brown eyes all the way to the curves of his lips. He scrunched up his nose as he gave her a small smile before taking another bite of his meal.
"I'd like that," he said quietly, so quiet Areum didn't even hear what he said
꧁ ❀ ꧂
Afternoon came, Areum was out of her bed, doing house chores, making ill soup, Korean snacks and meals, boiling tea and washing the pots she used for cooking. Her sulking days were finally over—or at least it almost seemed like it. All she knew was that, she had so much to do to even think about sulking.
She dried the last plate from the sink, Jungkook took off the rubber gloves from his hands before reaching towards his back to untangle the Apron that Areum forced him to wear from the water splatter that might ruin his shirt. Oddly enough, both of them have been going around the house cleaning and cooking together.
Hoseok and Yoongi had woken up just before Jungkook finished his breakfast. Areum was kind of relieved that the others weren't as sick as Jin was.
She served them the Kimchi Jjigae a little later after Jungkook finished breakfast. He still was running a fever, Areum had told him to get some rest instead of moving around the house with her. He kept agreeing with her but he never left the kitchen nor her side. He stayed with her while he kept himself busy, as if he needed a distraction too.
"Should we get started with lunch?" he asked her, quickly drying his hands at the back of his oversized sweatshirt.
Areum chuckled, stretching her sore neck before speaking.
"Shouldn't you be resting?" she told him before taking the thermometer and placing it on his ear to check his temperature.
He frowned but kept his mouth shut as if to help the thermometer measure his temperature properly. She made sure not to put her free hand anywhere near Jungkook again as they wait a couple of seconds to hear the beeping sound of the thermometer.
As soon as they heard the 'beep' Areum gently retrieved the device and checked his temperature.
"You're temp isn't that high anymore. Do you still feel a little dizzy?" she asked him as she sat down on the high chair across the counter.
Jungkook rest his palms against the cold marbled counter before letting out a sigh.
"No. I'll go crazy if I stay in bed doing nothing." he confessed.
She took her time to study his features. Messy hair, bags under his eyes, swollen nose and disturbed expression. His features screamed exhaustion and heartbreak, either was no good while on tour. Jungkook didn't seem like the guy who easily shared too much of what he's thinking. He'd always been quiet—almost reserved.
"I'm making lasagna for lunch. Would the others like that?" she asked him suddenly.
"I'd love it." he answered excitedly before rummaging through the cupboards as if he knew exactly what to use to make Lasagna. He doesn't. He turned to her for help before she chuckled and stood up from the chair.
"It's still early. Why don't we do something else while we wait for the others to wake up?" Areum suggested before extending her neck to check if Yoongi and Hoseok was still in the living room.
They were nowhere in sight, perhaps they went back to their rooms. It's still early and they have the day off work anyway. Namjoon had an appointment with a professional wood-carver in the afternoon, so he'd probably sleep in until he had to get ready.
"I think they went back to bed," she murmured as her eyes widened from a new idea. Areum grabbed his hand and dragged him upstairs to her room.
The gray curtain inside the room was open—she must've left it like that last night thinking her nightmares would disappear if the last thing she saw was the beautiful dark view outside. Her bed was well-made as if she didn't sleep on it, perhaps because she just laid down and did not rest at all. Her room was small but it was the only room that had a connecting bathroom inside. The humidifier was left on and the place smelled like calming rose vanilla essence to help her sleep better but nothing helped her sleep in months.
She lets go of his hand before opening her suitcase, taking out two hard-covered books.
Areum sat on her bed, studying each book in her hand, deciding which one to give him. She glanced up at his bewildered expression.
"Sit down," she eyed the side of her bed.
He swallowed heavily, hesitating whether to follow her or make an excuse to get out of her room.
"I'm not gonna jump you or anything," she shrugged, waiting for him to be at ease.
He scratched the back of his head, the corner of his mouth turning upward before he finally sat across her. She gave him a warm smile before pulling the covers over her exposed legs and handed him one of the books she was holding.
Jungkook hesitantly flipped the book open as he eased up on her bed. It was a book of poetry, full of short free written excerpts, thoughts, memories and emotions. She said she read it when she had nothing else to do and no one else to talk to.
Areum thought Jungkook might find the same essence from reading considering how he seem to find it hard to express his feelings to people close to him. Perhaps reading could inspire him write his thoughts too, if not through words, maybe he could let it out by making music.
"It's basically a contemporary book of poetries. I translated all of them in Korean when I was in the hospital a few months ago." she told him before kneeling down to fix the covers over his lap, tucking him in.
"Reading has helped me a lot when I had no one else to talk to. It was like talking to someone. It's like reading the lyrics of a song, except this doesn't require a melody." she said as she got back on her side of the bed, making herself comfortable before opening her book and glancing back at Jungkook.
"I never finished a book." he murmured, tapping his fingers lightly at the side of the hard-bound literature.
"This just looked thick and pretentious but there isn't much text on some pages, the writer wanted the words more emotionally conveyed in a straightforward manner rather than making a whole novel out of it." she told him.
He smiled at her, shifting on his side so he's facing Areum as he opened the first page, he seemed not too interested with the English dedication and introduction, so he flipped through the pages until he reached the first poem where there was Areum's Hangul handwriting translation, his fingertips glided through the page as a smile formed on his lips. He then proceeded to the next page, another free written poem but it was differently conveyed—it was about romance and masculinity, interesting, he thought. And then he moved onto the next, and the next until he reached the point of deep engagement in the book. Jungkook shifted on her bed, leaning on his side as he cupped the book in his hands, eyes focused as he read and examined the page.
Areum had forgotten about the book she was holding, she was too busy watching him. Somehow, looking at him felt more peaceful than reading and writing itself.
Jungkook placed down the book and used his index finger as a bookmark before he closed it.
"Reading makes me want to write songs," he said.
She smiled, relieved that he found something good from reading—or at least a similarity to her.
"Or draw. I like drawing stuff," he shrugged before examining the last sketch on the page he had read. It was a wilting flower with a stem of a female body.
"The drawing looked rushed. Look how uneven the edges are." he said, examining the drawing. "It's not a bad drawing but it's kind of messy."
Areum chuckled, "It's the author's personal touch." she grabbed the book from his hands, flipping through the previous pages and pointing out some details. "See? The drawings are the author's signature itself."
He watched her as she explained the details of the book, Areum looked up at him, his eyes brighter than she'd ever seen it. His lips curved upwards before scrunching up his nose to let out a deep chuckle, his under eye creases when he smiles wide and laughs naturally. How unique and beautiful, she thought. She's never seen anyone with that kind of smile. Innocent yet undeniably addicting.
"How do you know all that?" he asked.
"I just know," she shrugged. Leaning back to her place, where there was a decent distance between her and Jungkook.
"I never thought reading could be fun." he admitted, opening the pages again and leaning on the piled pillows on his side. His lips turned up to a grin as he read the page and studied the minimal drawings of each text.
She smiled as he rested his head on the headboard, engaging his whole consciousness on the book in his hands, as if he liked what he was reading—Areum hoped he did.
After a while, his eyes fluttered slowly as he reached close the middle part of the book, he was nearing his slumber as he lowered his hands on the bed while she kept stealing glances of him through her peripheral view as she wrote Hangul translation of the texts written in the book on her lap.
The look of exhaustion slowly vanished as he fell asleep, his lips pressed into a thin line as he finally gave up consciousness, yet his fingers lay softly on each sides of the opened book. Jeon Jungkook is far from being an open book, she thought. How can someone be so hard to read yet so easy to break. He looked fragile as he slept more so when he's awake and assumed no one was looking at him.
She reached for his side of the thick duvet and gently pulled it above his shoulders, making sure he's warm as he slept. Her hand automatically puts a gentle pat over the duvet that covered his sleeping figure, something she does when Jana goes home drunk and unconscious on the couch.
Then, she got back on her side, twisting the pen in between her fingers as she watched Jungkook breathe steadily in his slumber.
She lets him sleep some more as she got back to reading and translating.
When the sun appeared rather prominently after the rain, Areum noticed the bright light coming from the huge window in her room, so she gently climbed down from her bed and closed the thick curtains so Jungkook could get a nice rest without being woken up by the blinding light from outside. She went on her tiptoes as she struggled to close the curtains all the way when a loud figure came running into her opened bedroom door, she almost forgot her door was open.
"Areum-ie! Look what I found!" Hoseok excitedly jumped up and down as he skipped around her room, holding a huge phone enough to be a tablet or a small iPad.
She spun around quickly, placing her index finger over her lips as a gestured for him to be quiet. Hoseok was quick to catch on, lowering his voice as he tiptoed towards her, his eyes wandering around the room and stopped dead in his tracks as he noticed a sleeping figure in her bed. His eyes widened as did his mouth in pure shock, yet he seemed to have lost his voice to react. Hoseok glanced back in her direction, before making his way towards Jungkook's sleeping figure. He quietly points down at him, his face covered with confusion and concern.
"Why is he sleeping here?" Hoseok spoke quietly, only it wasn't as quiet as he intended.
Areum squeezed her eye shut before glaring at Hoseok, motioning him to be quiet once more.
"Areum-ssi? Song Areum?" someone called from the hallway, possibly Taehyung. He's the only one amongst the members who had the deepest yet sweetest voice. His voice was deep enough to catch anyone's attention but sweet enough to give off a calm and innocent impression.
"Song Areum, your door is open, can I come in?" he said sweetly, his voice tired but endearing.
He was wearing a cream Van Gogh t-shirt and an oversized pair of trousers, his hair was left silky straight from the shower.
"I heard you made Jjigae, I'll go try—who's that?" his eyes draped over Hoseok and the sleeping figure, he narrowed his eyes before glancing at her with shock.
"What's going on?" Taehyung asked, bewildered. He started furrowing his brows, his mouth slightly agape as he glanced at her expectantly.
She looked at both Hoseok and Taehyung as if there shouldn't be a big deal. Jungkook was sleeping comfortably in her bed late in the morning with her curtains half-closed. That was it.
The two members waited for an explanation, but Jungkook slowly sat up from the bed, still had his eyes closed, jaw clenched and slightly pouted lips.
"What's all that noise?" Jungkook murmured, not bothering to open his eyes. He clasped the covers close to his chest before resting his face on his hand. Areum snickered at the oblivious state of Jungkook.
"Ya. Jungkook-ah. Did you sleep here all night? I didn't hear you come back to our room last night." Taehyung shook him up, cupping his face and blowing on his eyelids to wake him up.
Hoseok walked towards her, his face full of suspicion but without malice, since he already saw Jungkook earlier this morning in the kitchen.
"How long has he been sleeping here?" Taehyung asked.
"Two hours? He said he fell asleep on the couch in the living room last night." she answered.
She felt a strong disappointment in herself, realizing that she must have been watching him sleep for an hour or so, has it really been two hours? To her, it's only just been a couple of minutes.
She wished he had slept for another hour or two. Jungkook must've had a hard time sleeping on the cold couch all night, considering he had a fever and an uncomfortable sore throat too.
"Really?" Hoseok's eyes widened before glancing at Jungkook who was currently being babied by Taehyung.
"Is Jin-oppa still asleep?" she asked Hoseok.
"He's in the bathroom, the others are up too."
"I'll go get their breakfast ready then." she said before walking to her nightstand and grabbing a hair tie. "Would you like some Lasagna for lunch?" she asked both Hoseok and Taehyung as she tied her hair into a high pony tail.
Hoseok immediately gave her a thumbs up before dancing in excitement. Taehyung on the other hand was still busy bothering their youngest, shaking Jungkook before hovering over him, putting all his weight on the feverish man.
"Taehyung-oppa. Let him sleep will you?" she said before walking towards him and peeling him off from Jungkook.
"Come, I'll get your soup ready." she told him, gently pushing him out of her room. Taehyung frowned and pouted as he reached for Jungkook once more but Hoseok dragged Taehyung out of the room with him, giving Areum an apologetic smile before disappearing into the hallway.
She chuckled before turning towards Jungkook sat on the bed, his feet lay low against her bed as he hugged the book he read close to his chest. He tried to fix his hair and rub his eyes out of weariness as he looked at her with an almost well rested gaze.
"I'll help you with lunch." he said, standing up and stretching his back and hips from side to side, front to back.
"Get some more rest. I'll take care of everything." she assured him.
Jungkook made his way in front of her, frowning as he messed the top of her head. "I'm borrowing your book." he murmured before walking out of her room.
She tilted her head to the side, a smile crept up her face as she followed his figure out of her room. Jeon Jungkook wasn't that bad, she l thought. He wasn't all shy and cold. He's a lot of things but plain and rude. Somehow, the idea enticed her to want to draw herself closer to him. She could never read him easily as she does with other people, he had so many sides to him that not a lot of people see, including her.
Getting to know Jungkook would be a challenge, and God knows she loved being challenged.
Areum closed the door behind her and went straight to the kitchen where the newly awake members gathered to have their breakfast. Namjoon was drinking hot coffee by the counter while Yoongi stood in front of the stove, he must have pre-heated the Jjigae. Jin sat on the counter with his hands on his head, probably in much worse pain from his sore throat and fever. On the other side of the kitchen counter, Jimin was giving Taehyung a back massage in between goofing around.
She greeted each member, smiling warmly to each of them but every time she looked at Yoongi, her face blushed. Areum always loved his voice when he raps, talks, laughs, chuckles and even when he tries to sing. Yoongi would always smile at her bluntly, almost forced but never irritated, that's just how he is though and she never took it as something offensive.
She then went over to Jin, grabbing the handy body thermometer and gesturing for him to bend a little so she could reach his ear and check his temperature. He was too tired to question her or say something funny like he usually did, so he quietly complied. Jin looked red all over, his lips, face and ears flushed and hot, including the waterline in his eyes. The thermometer beeped and Areum checked the result. His fever was 3 degrees higher than Jungkook's. She bit her bottom lip in concern before stroking his back gently.
"Oppa, do you want some more ginger tea?" she asked him.
"I'll get it, Areum-ah." he tried to plaster a smile on his face but his eyes failed him.
"I'll take care of it, just sit tight." she smiled reassuringly before hurriedly heating up a pot of hot water with fresh ginger.
Jungkook didn't like the tea, so did the other members except Jin and Yoongi. They teased the two as being 'too old' to have weird taste buds, but Areum clapped back by pointing out everything tasted funny when it came to Namjoon, she could only attack him since she'd been with him the longest.
Jimin elbowed her gently to get her attention as he smiled at her before putting cooked rice onto four different bowls. Jungkook offered to cook real rice earlier before he started washing the dishes while Areum cleaned the kitchen.
"Good morning," Jungkook walked in with a new pair of gray t-shirt and less messy hair. His face looked moisturized and cleaned as he smiled brightly at the members.
Jimin glanced at him, his lips curved up into a smirk before taking the bowls and serving it on the countertop. Areum peered at Jungkook once again before sucking on the insides of her cheeks to hide the smile threatening to form on her face.
"Where have you been? Have you eaten?" Jin asked Jungkook.
Areum planted her gaze towards the pot of ginger tea, waiting for it to boil as she listened to the members' movements and conversation. She placed a clean mug on the marbled end of the stove, moving aside as Yoongi carried the pot of Kimchi Jjigae towards the counter.
"I woke up early." Jungkook says. "I'm going to mke lunch with Areum."
"Are you now?" Yoongi asked.
"I saw him sleeping in Areum's bed this morning." Taehyung added innocently.
Areum almost spilled the hot tea on her hand while the room went silent upon hearing Taehyung's unannounced statement. She rolled her eyes, knowing the others would misinterpret what Taehyung had said. She turned to them with the cup of ginger tea for Jin.
"He didn't sleep in your room last night, did he?" Jin chuckled nervously.
She shrugged. "He told me he slept on the couch last night."
The members all had relieved expressions as they started eating the hot soup of Kimchi Jjigae. Yoongi nodded his head, approving with how it turned out. Jin swallowed a huge amount of soup, finally helping him gain a bit of energy than last time.
"It's good, huh?" Jungkook asked Taehyung. "It's not very spicy. You don't like spicy food, right?"
His voice sounded excited and proud, as if he helped make it. Taehyung gave him a thumbs up, chewing a big chunk of meat before placing a big spoonful of rice into his mouth.
"We're making lasagna for lunch." Jungkook announced with a perfect American accent.
"What?"
"Daebak,"
"Since when did you learn how to say that?"
"That's so attractive."
The other members glanced at him midway of eating their breakfast, amazed at his pronunciation like it was by far the most interesting word they've ever heard him say. They complimented him before going back to finish their meal.
Areum glanced towards Jungkook's proud expression, she smiled before making her way towards the groceries on the cupboard, taking out all the ingredients for Lasagna. Jungkook soon went beside her, closely watching as she sorted out all the ingredients on the counter neatly.
"I have another word for you, Jin-hyung." Jungkook turned to the members. "Elixir."
Areum glanced up at him, wondering where he got the word suddenly. He still got his proud face on as he faced the other members. Hoseok soon came in, intrigued by the noise from the kitchen, he held his phone in his hands as he leaned over the counter.
"That's not even a word." Jin rolled his eyes.
"See, you don't even know what it is." Jungkook smirked. "I read it from a book," he sheepishly gazed at Areum.
"Elixir, mwoya?" Jin asked.
The others laugh at Jin's impatient query but he soon joined in with the laughter.
Areum turned away smiling, her morning had been filled with laughter, good company and safety—it was almost too good to be true.
Perhaps joining the tour was the right choice to make.
Jungkook shook his head, chuckling before grabbing the onion from one of the ingredients.
"Want me to cut the onions already?" Jungkook asked but he was already preparing the cutting board and knife in front of him.
"How are you feeling?" she asked him, reaching up to check if he was still burning with fever. He felt fairly warm but not as hot as before, so she stepped back to grab the thermometer but Jungkook grabbed her wrist to stop her from moving an inch.
"I'm fine. Let me help you," he spoke as he washed his hands properly on the sink.
She eased up from his voice, finally letting him do as he pleased. Areum went to get the apron they both used earlier before handing one to Jungkook.
"Do you know how to dice the onions?" she asked, tying her apron on her back.
Jungkook didn't even bother to tie his apron as he immediately started cutting the onion in half, she watched him closely, almost admiring how passionate he was by simply cutting an onion. He then stopped midway, sniffing and closing his dry eyes from the ingredient he was cutting. She chuckled before gently taking the knife from him, Areum reached for the sink and placed the knife under a running water and washing half of the onion in running water.
"You should always wash it before cutting." she chuckled, dicing down the other half and placing it onto a clean bowl.
He gave her a smile and proceeded to chopped the rest of the ingredients. She smiled as shes casually stepped behind him, tying his apron for him before mincing the garlic.
She hasn't met any men besides Luke who catches up easily in the kitchen—perhaps because there wasn't many men in her life, but even then, Jungkook's presence didn't irritate her, unlike half of the men in her classes back in College.
Her new friends were more humble than proud, always accepting their mistakes and breaking the stereotypes of toxic masculinity in the society. Jin, Yoongi and Jungkook has talent in the kitchen, according to the staff.
She even saw Jungkook loading up the laundry last night even when he was sick, something not even Luke does. But she wasn't observing the members to compare them with other people, she was merely amazed that men like them exists.
"Okay now what?" Jungkook finished chopping before washing his hands on the sink again.
Areum finished mincing the garlic before grabbing 2 large bell peppers and washing them thoroughly in the sink.
"Can you hit up the pan and start boiling the pasta?" she said. "I'll slice the peppers and tomatoes to get the sauce ready."
Jungkook immediately stepped out to find a deep pan and a pot to boil the pasta. She smiled again, for the first time she found cooking more interesting.
"Namjoon found this on his cloud," Hoseok approached her.
She glanced at the screen he was holding, it was an old picture of her and Namjoon 8 years ago, she looked slightly older then than she was now for some reason, perhaps it had something to do with her dark blonde hair back then and the full bangs she always hated. In the photo, Areum wore their School uniform, short skirt and perfectly fitted inner polo with matching exquisite blazer which her mother personally tailored for her, she always thought it was too tight to wear but she never complained, yet she wore an annoyed face in the picture. Then, there was Namjoon with a jet black hair, he had always been tall and graceful to look at. He wore the same blazer uniform as her and his gray pants elongated his lower limbs more. He'd always been really tall. Namjoon had the widest smile on his face as he pulled her in for the photo, encircling the back of her shoulders with his arm protectively. He went to the Academy way later than Areum, yet he looked like he fit right in there than she did.
Namjoon had the talent, wits, attitude and perseverance that almost half of the students in the academy didn't have. Making friends for him was never a problem while Areum only had one friend in her 8 years of stay in the Academy. Namjoon was the only one who had enough patience to stay with her, his excuse was, he heard she was the best student in the academy, so he wanted to learn from her but Areum always knew he stayed with her because he felt bad for her.
Namjoon has always been genuinely caring to other people, he felt sorry for her for being the youngest girl who always sat alone in the cafeteria. Areum always had an unapproachable facade that made everyone avoid her. He knew it was her only way to protect herself from being picked on, considering she was the youngest in the Academy.
Somehow, he made himself responsible to break down her walls even if it wasn't the easiest thing to do nor was it any of his business to attend to. Namjoon just always has had a pure heart and unprejudiced view on everything and everyone.
"Namjoon didn't look any different now," she said before pouring some olive oil into the pan to shake off the flashbacks in her head.
"He still looks cool now—much cooler." Jungkook murmured as he leaned closer to Hoseok.
Areum didn't realize he was already heating up the pot full of water, she chuckled at the sudden comment that came from him.
"If I didn't know you any better, I would've thought you're in love with him." she said before placing a good amount of ground beef into the skillet.
"He's a big fan of Namjoon-ie." Hoseok chuckled before patting Jungkook's head like a kid.
She chuckled, before glancing back where Taehyung and Jimin was standing. Yoongi and Jin had somehow left the room.
"Who knows how to use this?" Taehyung asked, pointing at the dishwasher as he looked back towards Areum expectantly.
She immediately puts down the spatula she was holding but Hoseok already aided to load the dishwasher, insisting he had used it once or twice before. She then returned to cooking and poured every ingredient she sliced into the pan with the ground beef, adding some salt and pepper to taste. Jungkook hummed an unfamiliar song and was doing a subtle dance beside her as he waited for the pasta to soften in the boiling water.
"Are you feeling that well already?" she asked him while keeping an eye on what she was cooking.
"Yes." he answered immediately. "Thanks to you."
Areum could no longer conceal the inevitable smile on her face as she turned her back to him, her cheeks warm and flushed, the butterflies in her stomach confused her of starvation or excitement growing inside, she liked to think it was the latter.