"So you're telling me you've never slept together?" Irena gasps, looking between myself and Jeongguk with a look of suspicion. Like everyone else in the room, she's not convinced we haven't done anything beyond kissing and cuddling.
"Soa, you're lying. It can't be true." She laughs, shaking her head in disbelief, "Not when you're engaged to Jeongguk. That's absolutely crazy." She claps, still finding the situation amusing.
It's been days since I've seen my cousins or brothers. With counselling and Jeongguk's spontaneous dates, we haven't had a lot of time to just hangout. Of course there's the occasional call or visit, but that's not too long.
We're currently at some private pool lounging area. Thanks to Taehyung who decided Namjoon was to spend his birthday in style. A kind brother he is. All Jin and I did was give him some cash which he still was grateful to receive.
My brother of course didn't come alone. With Yejin, the both of them have been in the house, appearing way more comfortable in their relationship than they were at first. Cuddling on the sofa. Kissing at breakfast. All things I never would've thought Namjoon, my stiff and serious brother, would be into.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Jeongguk asks, feigning offence at her statement.
"I didn't mean it like that," She rolls her eyes, "I mean, you're hot and she's slow. I'd have jumped your bones already."
Hosoek coughs loudly at the other side of the area. His face already a light shade of read, almost as if he's just choked on one of the appetizers. Now, all attention is on him. Jimin is beside him stuck between helping his friend or laughing the way I know he wants to.
Yoongi pats his back, handing him a glass of apple juice.
"That's so inappropriate." Hosoek squeaks. "And your boyfriend isn't even saying anything about it." He mumbles, shaking Yoongi off of him with a look I can't quite decipher.
"Well, I appreciate my sister choosing to remain pure. From experience, I can say it makes for a beautiful honeymoon." Namjoon smiles, passing Yejin a wink. It's so full of flirtation, all of us kind of freeze at the action because Namjoon is supposed to be the stiff one. Now, he's a changed man.
Beside him Taehyung makes gagging noises while Jin falls into agreeing. Having experience with the subject of purity himself.
"There's no rush-"
"Wait, Yoongi and Irena are together?" Jeongguk yells out, disrupting me once again. His eyes blown out to their full size as he stares at the suspected couple. Confusion is written on his face and guilt on theirs.
There's a moment of silence. All of us looking between each other uncertain on whether or not we should break the silence. Irena makes her way toward the pool area, talking about having to cool down. Yoongi starts eating a bowl of fruit.
"Have been since Joon's wedding." Taehyung confirms. In retaliation Min Yoongi throws him with a strawberry. Having been a witness to the two hooking up, I know he's not lying.
Irena disappears to the deeper side of the pool that's far away from the rest of us. Unlatching myself from Jeongguk, I make my way toward her, careful not to walk too close to the edge. We've got an appointment and I can't risk getting wet.
She swims toward me, resting on the wall with her arms. In the moment she looks like a supermodel straight from Vogue with her long hair and wet skin. I can kind of see my Yoongi would he into her. Irena is gorgeous and she always has been.
"We're not seriously dating." She explains, heaving a sigh while her eyes move toward the group. Fei and Yejin are sat talking about who knows what. Yoongi seems to have calmed down from everyone knowing seeing as he's seated beside Taehyung now.
"I just didn't want to tell everyone so soon," She sighs, "I mean, Hosoek and I are only here for your wedding. After that we're going back home and Yoongi doesn't know that." She makes a sound of groaning.
I understand her problem. Dating seriously and then leaving is asking for problems. Knowing how little Irena visits Seoul, I'm sure long distance is not on the cards for her.
"Speak to Yoongi. I think he'll understand."
"Yeah, I'll do that." She splashes some water my way, "Sleep with Jeon. He's more than ready."
-
"Have the two of you ever been intimate?" Nikita asks making my mind wander to Irena and the conversation we had this afternoon. It's like she was trying to prepare me for the awkward encounter that would be this session.
Jeongguk and I shake our heads no and watch as the shock flows into her face like milk mixing into a cup of coffee. It's instant.
Her questions come out like bombs. All firing at us in curiosity as it must be the first time in a while that she's met a couple that hasn't touched each other like that. It should be embarrassing how little to nothing I know about intimacy, but I feel nothing toward the subject. If anything, I'm proud to have steered from that area of life for so long.
"We just decided we wanted to wait till we were married." Jeongguk concludes, also confident in that fact that though arousal and temptation may arise, we made a promise to each other. Both him and I are too prideful to be the first to break it.
Of course when he'd told me he's already been intimate, I wasn't surprised. I wasn't fond of his relationship, but I'd seen the way they hung onto each other. Such closeness could only arise from one form of touch.
"So do you think that could be why you guys are having communication issues?" Nikita questions, smiling as she always does.
"Actually, I don't think so," Jeongguk replies with a tilt of confidence in his tone. "I was in a relationship where sexual activity was important and even then we had communication problems."
"I agree that sexual intimacy does bring people closer, but I believe emotional intimacy brings two people even closer and right now, we're both happy within that realm." He smiles.
-
I enter the boardroom sending messages to Taehyung with my eyes. Confusion swimming in my veins at the sight of my grandparents and Jeongguk's, seated beside our parents like they randomly visit Seoul. We all know, they're only ever here if something needs to he delivered personally. Judging by the sound of surprise Jeongguk let's out behind me, I know he's just as unaware about what's going on.
Today was our sixth session with our relationship counsellor, Nikita and so far everything has been going well. We've been talking, he's taken more time off from work to spend more time together. It's really helped us grow stronger and it's beautiful to see us both actively want to fix things, but I just know this ambush of a meeting is about to ruin all that progress.
Greeting everyone with hugs, I move toward Taehyung. Eyes widening in surprise at the sight of Kim Namjoon who's unawarely typing away at his phone, like we didn't just see each other at the pool. It's still he's birthday, why is he even here? Seokjin is seated beside him with the always calm and inviting smile he has.
The sight just leaves me feeling more anxious and nervous. It feels like the hurdles never stop appearing. I'm starting to think that they'll never stop and going into marriage will only worsen them.
Jeongguk joins me, immediately pulling my hand into his own. A source of comfort it is because as soon as we connect, I feel slightly less nervous. It's not a lot, but it's enough to have me squeeze his hand in return.
"Now that the two of you are finally here," Mr Jeon senior speaks with authority. It's an aura that runs throughout their family line. Every one of Jeongguk's uncles and aunts have that tone and walk of importance. "We'd like to officially open this meeting."
My eyes widen at the mention of a meeting because I don't recall being informed of it.
"And it's all dependent on your cooperation."
-
A/N:
If you're still here, I thank you.
I've been trying to keep this book consistent and I'm really looking forward to finishing it, but you know there always has to he spice. Haha.
What did you think of this chapter?
Also check out my other book "More Than A Moment." it's a Taehyung fic.
Thank you. ❤️