18 days left.
"You were totally acting like a baby though." Jungkook mused, sticking with his made up mind that I was acting like a baby when "there was nothing to be scared about".
"At least I have respect for the fears of others. I don't go around bringing microwaves with me when I'm with you." I deadpanned and raised a brow at him, "Now that's a thing to be embarrassed about."
"Shut up, I don't have a fear of those. I just don't like the chance of them exploding every second they're turned on. And why would you bring a microwave with you anyway?" He replied.
I rolled my eyes when he didn't get my irony. Instead, I turned to call one of the fluffy dogs over to me.
The one named Wooyu, leaped with light steps towards me with a bright pink tongue hanging out its mouth contrasting the puppy's white fur.
Jungkook and I were at a samoyed cafe grabbing our usual coffees we got there. We didn't go there too often, but often enough to be able to tell the difference between each and every puppy. It was one of our favorite cafes to come to. Jungkook loved dogs and missed his two dogs, which lived at home in Busan with his parents, very much. I had always loved dogs too, but I never had one as my father was allergic and my apartment in Seoul didn't allow pets.
I looked over at Jungkook who was petting his own white fluff ball, Moon. Another reason I loved coming to this cafe, besides seeing the dogs, was the way Jungkook acted around them. It's a natural thing for a human to turn soft when interacting with cute animals, but it was still so amusing to see Jungkook's pouting lips when he talked in a high note while shaking his head and ruffling the dog's face making both of them shake their heads in the same way.
The soft look on Jungkook's face as he petted Moon reminded me of the day before.
"You were really sweet to me yesterday though." I voiced my thoughts while grabbing my straw and sipping on some of my mocha.
Jungkook switched his attention to me with a wrinkled expression, "Of course I was. We would've never made it to the other side if I hadn't encourage you."
"You're proud?" I asked with a judgmental tone. He seemed cocky about his achievement.
"I made you forget about where we were for a moment. I must've done something right." He spoke, shrugging as if I was to thank him, again.
"I guess I'm that charming, huh?" He said, a smirk gracing his lips.
"Oh keep your man ego down will you?" I rolled my eyes and looked to the side, my eyes falling on a little girl surrounded by the puppies.
"I won't. I totally made you fall for me."
"Anyways." I raised my voice a bit, trying to change the subject. Maybe I had felt something... "I was thinking since it's Saturday, maybe we could go to your studio?"
"Go to my studio?" He answered with a question.
"Yeah. It's empty, right?"
"Well, first of all, it's not my studio it's my teacher and boss'."
"Whatever." I whispered.
"Secondly, why?"
I detached my eyes from the girl playing with the puppies and locked eyes with Jungkook, "I thought about wanting to learn how to play the drums." I confessed in a cheerful tone.
Jungkook put down his mug almost with a thud, his mouth slightly agape in disbelief.
"Sorry, what?" He tried keeping in his laugh to which I simply rolled my eyes and scoffed, "Stop making fun of me or I'll take it back."
He immediately became expressionless, preventing himself to fall into laughter.
Jungkook had always been good at the drums. He'd played since he was young and now that he was pursuing his career as a singer, producer or whatever he would decide, he had been even more eager for me to get involved with music. But I had no musicality in me, at least nothing compared to Jungkook.
"So you're for real? You want me to teach you the drums?" He asked to ensure that he had heard correctly.
"Yeah I'm for real. So is your studio-" Jungkook faked a cough, remarking my mistake, "Sorry, your boss' studio... is it free today?"
"Hell yeah, let's go." Jungkook mused, getting up from his chair and already in the midst of putting on his jacket.
"Woah there little boy, shouldn't we finish our coffees first?" I chuckled and made Jungkook's motion stop for a few seconds.
"I'm done, coffee can wait." Jungkook spoke and put on his jacket fully.
"I'm not and no it can't." I raised my eyebrows, showing him my still half full mug with mocha in it.
Jungkook plumped down on the chair with a loud sigh and eye roll. He zoned out at the puppies flattened out on the cafe's floor while I finished my mocha in peace. Wooyu, my favorite, went to Jungkook with a wagging tale, putting her head on his lap, asking to be petted. Jungkook stopped pouting at the interaction and instead a small smile accompanied his face as he ruffled the dogs head between his hands.
"Pose." Jungkook spoke, taking out his phone and pointing the camera at me.
I didn't ask to why, but just smiled for the picture, cupping my own cheeks and squinting my eyes.
I knew Jungkook was very keen on this. I was sitting on the little stool behind the drum set. I'd never shown any interest in music other than I supported Jungkook. It just never really was my thing. So that he was overexcited about me sitting behind a drum set and asking for his help to teach me, didn't surprise me. It would be a once in a lifetime thing, and he knew that. He appreciated it and didn't waste a single moment.
I picked up the sticks that were laying on the ground. Jungkook put away his phone and turned his attention to teaching me.
"Okay first, move." He moved around the drum set to almost push me off the stool. He evidently enjoyed his position as my teacher for the day. I decided to be the bigger person and just let him feel on top of the world, as I moved away and Jungkook positioned himself behind the drum set, also taking the drumsticks from my hands.
His eagerness and passion in teaching me was kind of cute.
"So, I'm thinking I'll start by teaching you some of the basic rhythms." He looked at me with a smile shortly, before facing the drums in front of him, "Like this." He said and played a rhythm that I was familiar with.
And his sudden professionalism was kind of attractive.
"I know that one!" I cheered proudly when he finished.
"Well of course you do, it's the most used drum beat ever." Jungkook almost put out the fire in my eyes, "Now, you'll learn how to play it."
But his cockiness was slightly annoying too.
"It can't be that hard." I sneered, grabbing the drum sticks from him and nudging him away.
"Let's see." He chuckled, almost provoking me but I knew he just enjoyed the position of being the best at this.
It only took about 30 minutes before I got the first beat down. Jungkook instructed well, despite his arrogance about his knowledge and skills with drum beats. I also listened well, I would say, considering how often I was ticked off due to his attitude.
He went off to show me two more beats and instructed me in those. I'd say the new beats were a degree or ten more difficult than the first one. For the first hour of learning the first difficult beat, I even yelled at Jungkook once, the frustration of not keeping up with his tempo getting to me.
Jungkook just laughed at me, taunting me that I wasn't perfect in everything as I was back in school.
At last, it really got to me that I couldn't just do it.
I only had a matter of days left, yet, I couldn't just pull myself together and do it. The right solution wasn't to blame myself, because what beginner would ever learn a beat in a few minutes? But I was so frustrated with myself. Minutes went by, even hours went by, and I didn't seem to keep up with the tempo. The hits just wouldn't get stuck in my mind and whenever Jungkook illustrated the beat and asked me to do it afterwards, I just couldn't do it.
It got to a point where I didn't think it was fun anymore. It felt more like a chore.
On top of that, my head started hurting more. It had ached slightly since we started, but it had hurt an ounce more since the frustration took over me. I had trouble listening to Jungkook, his instructions not making their way through my skull and into my brain. I couldn't catch up.
Jungkook declared us to take a short break. In the break, Jungkook went out of his teaching role and just was himself which made me more at ease.
Reminiscing the past two hours I realized how happy this made Jungkook. He'd not stopped smiling once. Of course, his smile wasn't permanent as he tried instructing my frustrating inabilities, but his eyes shone with joy. He really relished in this. It made me happy too.
And after the break, it all went smoother.
I wasn't hurrying to get the beat down, which made the frustration disappear and I once again had fun as Jungkook corrected, adjusted and praised my hits.
Jungkook drove me home after we had eaten take away at the studio for dinner. Right as I got home, the ringing in my ears grew louder and a sharp pain stung inside my head. But maybe that was what every beginner at the drums felt like after several hours of playing? I just couldn't seem to not worry.
I sat down on my couch, taking some deep breaths and trying to collect myself. I had the phone lying right in front of me on the small coffee table, ready to call for help if it grew worse.
It didn't, fortunately. However, it did not settle down either, so I took a few pain killers as the doctor had told me were enough in minor cases. Not soon after, I fell asleep on the couch, after starring into the ceiling for a long time, avoiding the blue light from worsening my headache.
17 days left.
I pulled off my slightly wet jacket as I entered the studio where Jungkook was already seated behind the drums.
He played a short beat before greeting me with a smile and a, "Good morning student."
I flinched unnoticeably at the loud clanging sound coming from the hi-hat Jungkook just put all his power into hitting.
I hung my jacket on the peg without replying to his greeting. He literally drove me there and told me to wait outside the studio for 2 minutes, because 'he had to prepare something'.
"Idiot," I spoke under my breath, "should we get started or what?" I dared him with a smirk.
"Bet." He said and performed another beat, one which I already knew from yesterday.
I again flinched at the sound, a stinging pain provoked every time he hit the hi-hat making an unbearable ringing fill the room.
"This is where we got to, right?" Jungkook questioned, looking at me. I barely heard what he said as I tried figuring why my head hurt so much by the sound.
It wasn't like it had hurt that much the same morning. I had taken a pain killer before Jungkook picked me up and it had helped, until now.
"Right." I narrowed my eyes, grinding my teeth and biting the pain in me and went to switch places with Jungkook.
"Are you alright?" He questioned absentmindedly while looking at his phone, texting something.
I ignored the question and sat on the stool, grabbing the drumsticks.
Jungkook put away his phone and instructed me in how to do it. But only for a few minutes, before I stopped playing, putting down the drumsticks.
I grabbed my forehead as if it could tame the pain as it grew to its climax. I almost got dizzy as I stood up and Jungkook almost ran behind the drum set to support me.
"I'm fine." I mumbled, pushing his hands away from me.
Jungkook must've been confused as to why I suddenly stopped playing and got up, stumbling on my feet.
"You sure?" Jungkook pushed, taking a step towards me, closing the gap I had made between us.
"I am." I took deep breaths. It felt like it hurt every time I spoke, as if it took all the strength in me to get out my words, "I must have... low blood sugar." I excused my stumbling.
Jungkook put his hands on my shoulders again, supporting me as I slowly stopped wobbling and gained control over myself again.
"I'm fine Jungkook." I spoke more confidently, ignoring the pain just for him to stop looking at me with a such worry in his eyes.
He kept searching my eyes, gripping tight on my shoulders, clearly not believing me.
"I give up." I admitted shamefully, trying to force a chuckle out to brighten the mood, "I'm sorry."
I could sense the disappointment rushing through Jungkook's eyes for a quick moment, before they filled with worry and care again, "It's fine. We'll stop now and we'll go get you some lunch." He tried sounding encouraging despite the fretting look on his face.
I hated it. I hated that I couldn't just finish this, so I could please him. He enjoyed this so much, yet I had to give up on it. I felt a bit shame at that.
And I never even got to learn anything, I thought, just before Jungkook spoke as if he could read my mind, "You did learn a beat though. So to give up is the wrong phrase."
I looked at him, a genuine smile forming on my lips. I actually did learn a beat. It wasn't what I had in mind when writing down to master an instrument.
But mastering a beat would have to be enough in this case.
And frankly, when I wrote to master an instrument down on my list, I was more excited about Jungkook's reaction than actually learning how to play something.