A/N: Wow look at me updating... Sorry guys, it's been one hell of a year for me. I translated a book, got sick, got better, went to a very stressful interview, taught 40 kids how to write in English and wrote 2 scripts for the year-end play while I was missing. So I think I might be forgiven? *sweats a lot* Anyways! here's part 3 and omg it's my favourite part of THEN because fucking finally we have some ~feelings~ developing and the slow burn starts... also they begin being steadily frustrating and angering but oh well, it'll probably be okay at the end, who knows.. (I still haven't written the final, so..) It's also a VERY LONG update, like, I'm serious. Idk how long since I wrote it on docs but like, IT IS LONG. So I hope it'll compensate for the general lack of updates ❤️
Without further ado, I hope you'll enjoy the update ❤️
✨
They were fourteen when they had their first big fight.
Lisa, for the first time in eleven years, had been feeling annoyed at Jungkook for real. Downright angry, even. Also, hurt.
Because he had been neglecting her.
And ignoring.
He now had some popularity as a player in their school's basketball team and one of the older players, their senior, had taken him under his wings. And he was all Jungkook had been talking about.
Jaehyun hyung this, Jaehyun hyung that, Jaehyun hyung's so cool, he can score three points even blindfolded, blah blah blah.
Lisa had never disliked someone this much in her life.
They still were together in the class but now Jungkook was having lunch with his teammates and his Jaehyun hyung every day and Lisa could swear that damnable Jung Jaehyun was smirking at her during lunch break every single time.
It had been months since she and Jungkook had done something together. As in alone together. Whatever happened, Jaehyun hyung would always be there.
She was bitter and angry and was feeling betrayed.
That's why she was sulking and meticulously avoiding looking at Jungkook as they did their homework.
"Hey Liz," Jungkook said, popping a grape into his mouth without looking away from his maths problems. "Wanna go to the arcade after this?"
Unwillingly, but not being able to help herself, Lisa looked up.
"The arcade?"
"There's a new game, the kids told me. Something about space," Jungkook shrugged one shoulder. But looked at Lisa then, "You like all things space. Stars and all. Wanna try?"
Feeling the petty monster inside her taming a little, Lisa smiled, "Really? But you don't like playing those games."
Jungkook grinned, "It's okay. Kids and Jaehyun hyung will be there too, I can hang out with them."
To this, Lisa's face fell instantly and the monster growled dangerously, anger hot in her veins.
"Oh really," she said in a flat voice but her eyes were burning. "So dear Jaehyun hyung will be there, huh."
Frowning at the change of expression on her face, Jungkook gave her a questioning look.
"Yes? What's wrong with that?"
"Oh nothing," Lisa replied with a saccharine smile. "Nothing's wrong of course. What could be wrong about Jaehyun hyung, right?"
This time she could see him getting annoyed, too.
"What's up with you Liz? Why are you talking like this?"
Lisa scoffed, "Like you care anymore."
"What does this even mean?" Jungkook huffed, putting down his pen with a little too much force.
"It means you don't care about me anymore!" Lisa, on the other hand, slammed her pen down.
"What the fuck," Jungkook stared at her in disbelief.
"Oh please!" Lisa sneered. "You don't even have time for me anymore, you're always with them and your fucking Jaehyun hyung –"
Jungkook glared, "Don't talk about him like this, what did he even –"
"Oh so now you're defending him against me, huh?" Lisa arched a brow, hurt and angry and bitter, full of disbelief. Her hands clutched around the poor notebook in front of her. "Wow Jeon Jungkook, just wow."
"This is nonsense!" he raised his voice. "You're just creating problems out of nowhere!"
Lisa gritted her teeth. Now she was the one at fault, huh.
"When was the last time we hung out together?? Alone??"
"Last nigh –"
"We slept last night! Before that you were with your beloved Jaehyun hyung all day! You're just using me to sleep!" Lisa sprang to her feet, slamming the notebook on the table this time.
"Oh my god Lisa," Jungkook's eyes grew big and she could now see hurt in there. Good, she thought. Now we're even.
"You don't even look at me in school," Lisa gritted her teeth, feeling her hands tremble and she quickly made them into fists. "You're just after that perfect sunbae of yours and your perfect little team with your pretty little cheerleaders, you're always with them –"
"Oh what about you, then?" Jungkook snapped, rising from his seat too, his eyes were angry and bitter now. "You don't even come to my practises anymore, you're always with that Kang Solbi girl! Not to mention that Han Seojun following you around like a dog –"
"Well yeah you would know about following someone around like a dog, wouldn't you?" Lisa snapped back harshly. "And what about them? Do you want me to just wait around for you to spare me a bit of attention? Assuming you'd have any time, of course, I'm surprised you even realised I wasn't at the practise among all the girls swarming around you –"
"Obviously because you prefer others' company now," Jungkook narrowed his eyes. "Kang Solbi, what a nice choice. And Han Seojun, the nerd of the drama club –"
"Don't talk about him like that! At least that nerd is always beside me if I need someone!" Lisa hissed accusingly. Jungkook laughed darkly.
"Oh, always beside you, is he? Why, is he your boyfriend now?"
Lisa's voice was shaking now, "Even if he was you wouldn't know because you aren't there to see, right??" She could feel the incoming tears.
"Stop being such a bitch," Jungkook hissed in irritation. "You're ruining everything!"
Lisa froze, her mouth slack, she couldn't believe what she just heard. And she saw the exact moment Jungkook realised what he had said. His expression turned from angry to shocked like he himself couldn't believe what he said, ashamed and kind of scared, and before he could open his mouth again, Lisa was gathering her things swiftly.
"Lisa wait – I didn't mean it – no –" he started, voice full of regret, but she just ignored him, her stinging eyes finally giving up and a single teardrop fell down her face onto the tablecloth as she shoved everything into her backpack.
"Lisa, please," Jungkook reached for her but Lisa pulled back harshly.
"Don't touch me," she said, her voice was full on trembling and her eyes were shining with threatening tears. "Have fun with your Jaehyun hyung and precious team. And try to fall asleep with your cheerleaders," she added before storming out of the room, raising a hand to wipe her face.
"Unnie?"
In her hurry to reach the stairs, she glanced at Naeun's room. Little girl was standing at the threshold of her door, her eyes big and confused.
"I'll see you later Eunnie," she tried to smile and quickly went down.
"Lisa, wait!" she heard Jungkook call for her but she was already at the front door and slammed the thing behind her.
★
Jungkook just stared at the little wet spot on the tablecloth where Lisa's tear fell down. Never, not once in their friendship had he made her cry before. He couldn't believe what just happened.
She had just brought up Jaehyun hyung out of nowhere and forced them to fight over him. It was ridiculous, really. He wasn't neglecting her or not caring about her, she was Jungkook's best friend, for god's sake! But that didn't mean he had to be friends with just her, he had the right to have other friends, too!
She just had to be more emotional than normal, Jungkook decided. Maybe it was her period. This wouldn't be the first time she had been grouchy and unreasonable before her periods, what was that thing called, PMS?
Jungkook had been dealing with her mood swings since Lisa got her period two years ago. It'd been a shock to him at first but his mum had explained what was happening and it was just a girl thing, apparently. And since Lisa was Lisa, he would of course accept this as it is, there was nothing he could do as he had to deal with this for the rest of their lives.
So it had to be her period, Jungkook decided. Lisa wasn't like this normally. Though Jungkook knew that calling her names was stepping overboard. He didn't really think Lisa was like that, it was something the kids in his team used for girls that created problems and the word just happened to roll off his tongue. But –
What if Lisa didn't want to be friends with him anymore?
What if Lisa didn't want to see him again?
Jungkook would die.
He didn't know what he would do if Lisa didn't want to see him again, just the thought made him feel sick and like he was gonna throw up. He desperately tried to erase that thought from his mind.
Shame and fear and regret burnt through his veins like fire instead of blood, he was still looking at the wet spot, feeling hot all over and made his hands into fists.
She just had to act like this, didn't she? He had just made another friend, why was she acting like this?!
"Oppa?" came Naeun's voice from the door. Jungkook looked at her. The eight year old had an impressive pout on her lips and she looked like she was on the brink of a tantrum.
"Why was unnie crying?" she outright demanded.
Jungkook groaned. Naeun loved Lisa more than anyone in this world, nearly worshipped the ground Lisa walked on, she was always so possessive of Lisa, so protective and sometimes downright jealous of her friendship with Jungkook.
"None of your business," he bit harshly, walking towards the door.
"Why did you make her cry?" the little girl looked at him accusingly.
"I said none of your business," Jungkook walked past her. "Go play with your dolls or something."
Leaving her behind and ignoring her talking to him, Jungkook stormed into his room and slammed the door behind him. Then he threw himself on his bed and pressed his pillow on his face to scream on top of his lungs.
★
Lisa, too, stormed into her room, ignoring her mother's calls and questions.
Throwing her backpack to a corner, she just sat down on the ground, pulling her knees to her chest and buried her face into her hands, crying.
Jungkook had really called her a bitch.
And because of fucking Jung Jaehyun and the basketball team, of all things.
Lisa had never thought their friendship was weak like this. They'd known each other for eleven years now, since they were three and in diapers. And now out of everything, Jungkook had ruined it for a stupid basketball player. Lisa had never thought Jungkook would do this to her. She would've expected this from anyone but not from her Jungkook, her bestest friend in this world, the one person who she had been through everything with.
Her person.
Her other half.
Her heart ached so bad, she pressed one hand over it, wiping her soaked face with the other.
There was a knock on her door and a tentative "Lisa?"
She sniffled, she really didn't want to talk about this with her mum, but her mother was a persistent woman, so she called out a broken "Yeah?"
Her door opened slowly and her mother's concerned face came into view.
"Can I come in?"
Lisa shrugged, turning her eyes to stare at her carpet. She felt her mum come and sit beside her.
"Sweetie, what's wrong?"
"Nothing," Lisa sniffled again, playing with her socks.
"Lisa, you're crying, baby."
"We fought with Jungkook," Lisa wiped her nose with the back of her hand. "So bad."
"Over what?"
"Don't wanna talk about it," Lisa shrugged again, crossing her arms on her knees and resting her forehead on them.
"It'll be okay," her mother caressed her hair but Lisa shied away from her touch.
"No it won't," her voice trembled again, a thick lump had settled in her throat again. "It's so bad this time."
"Why, baby?"
"He's been ignoring me for weeks. He doesn't even look at me at school. He's always with his stupid basketball team and his stupid cheerleader girls," Lisa summarised everything.
"What?" her mother asked, surprised by the anger in her voice.
"There's this perfect sunbae of his and his teammates who he has lunch with all the time. And then there's these cheerleaders, always around him like bugs coming to the light. Like, they're all over him just because they're a part of the team and it's so irritating," her voice came out too loud since she had buried her face in her arms.
Her mother sighed, "Oh sweetie, he can have other friends, you know."
"I know!" Lisa lashed out on her mother, turning her head with a hiss. "But I needed him and he wasn't there for me! I'm his best friend!"
Her mother frowned slightly, "You needed him? For what?"
"I don't want to talk, mum, can you just leave me alone please?" Lisa buried her face into her arms again.
After a couple of minutes, her mother sighed and got up, walking out and closing the door behind her carefully.
Lisa looked at the wall right across her bed, there were fairy lights decorating the empty wall and polaroid pictures of her and Jungkook was hung between every two or three lights.
Since they were babies, starting from the day they met, their parents had taken photos of the two on every occasion possible. Jungkook had a similar thing in his room too and both their parents had the same photos in their albums.
There were eleven years' worth of memories on the wall and the longer she looked at them, the more Lisa wanted to cry – and crying she did.
She didn't know how long she sat there, crying and crying, feeling miserable and broken.
Her mum had come at one point to call her for dinner but she didn't want to eat so she didn't go and she guessed her mother held back her father from coming upstairs to make her sit with them during dinner.
It was late in the evening when she quietly slipped out of her room to wash her face and brush her teeth. She returned to her room with the same quiet manner and changed into her pyjamas before pulling the curtains close. She really didn't want to see Jungkook tonight.
After some time she got into her bed, her mother came into her room again to probably check up on her and she had a surprised face upon seeing her in the bed alone.
"Lisa? Weren't you going to sleep at Jungkook's tonight?"
"I'd rather have nightmares than to see him right now," Lisa turned to face the wall, her back to the door, the wall with photos, and her mother. "And I don't think he expects me, anyway."
★
Unfortunately Jungkook wasn't as lucky as Lisa that evening.
First of all, he had a sister who had witnessed everything. So it was a disaster when she opened her mouth during dinner.
"Oppa made unnie cry today," she said as if she was talking about the weather, her eyes on Jungkook and Jungkook sharply raised his head from his plate he had been toying with the food in and let out a growl to his sister.
"Shut up!"
"What?" his mother looked at him with surprise. "Jungkook??"
"What happened?" his father arched a brow in an interrogative manner.
"Thanks," Jungkook hissed at Naeun again, who just shrugged one shoulder, a satisfied smirk on her lips. She was so good at holding grudges even at this age and especially when it came to 'the person who she loved the most'.
"Nothing," he sighed, turning to his parents. "We fought a bit."
"Eunnie said she cried," his mum repeated almost accusingly. "She had never cried before."
"Ugh," Jungkook groaned, dropping his chopsticks. "She started it! She said I'd been neglecting and ignoring her –"
"Were you?" her mother asked sharply, her brows were furrowed.
"Of course not, Mum," Jungkook glared unintentionally.
"Don't look at your mother like that," his father cut in. "Why did Lisa say something like that if you weren't neglecting her?"
"Because I have other friends too," Jungkook turned to him. "And she just said that I didn't even look at her at school anymore, which is nonsense because we literally sit together in class. I just sit with other kids during lunch. It's she who doesn't have time for me, she hasn't been to my practises for like two weeks now, she used to come every day," Jungkook glared at the vegetables on his plate bitterly. "And she says we don't even talk anymore but she has this stupid girl –"
"Language," his mum interjected.
"And there's this boy following her around everywhere, like, he never leaves her alone, never. And she doesn't even come and speak to me," Jungkook continued, stabbing the poor potatoes on the plate with apparently a little more power than necessary because a horrible screech came from the plate.
"I heard everything," Naeun almost warned him, eyes flashing. "I heard everything you said to unnie."
"Jeon Naeun," Jungkook gritted his teeth to disguise his panic. If there was a way things could go even worse than this, it was his parents knowing what he called Lisa.
"Is there something else we should know, Naeun?" his mother turned to Naeun.
Naeun eyed Jungkook, making him hold his breath.
"Oppa told unnie that she talked nonsense and ruined everything," Naeun said, taking a bit of rice with her spoon and eating it after talking and thankfully leaving out the most horrible part out, so calm like she wasn't threatening to say the thing that could end Jungkook's life just a second ago.
"Jeon Jungkook!" his father looked at him sharply, his voice stern. "You shouldn't talk to Lisa like that. She's your best friend!"
"You're gonna apologise to her tomorrow," his mother's voice was eerily calm as she picked some kimchi to continue her dinner. "End of discussion. Now eat."
"Ugh!" Jungkook groaned loudly and pushed his chair away. "You know what, I'm full. Enjoy your meal."
He got up and walked away towards the stairs and he was already half way up when he heard his mother, "Jungkook come back here!"
Ignoring his mum, Jungkook entered his room and slammed the door behind him. He went on and sat on his bed, falling backwards to stare at his ceiling. But since he didn't have stars like Lisa did, there wasn't much to look at, really.
As he looked around, his eyes caught the sight of what he called The Memory Lane, in which he had this huge cork board where his and Lisa's photos since they'd met eleven years ago were pinned with notes under them.
Up until a couple of years ago, it was their parents who wrote the notes but now Jungkook and Lisa were writing down their own notes. Sometimes when one of them went to the other's house, they would talk about the photos and laugh for hours.
His eyes caught the sight of a particular bright photo where he and Lisa were dressed up for one Halloween. It was from the time they were obsessed with The Little Mermaid and Lisa was Ariel and he was Prince Eric. Both of them were sulking magnificently because Lisa had wanted to be Ursula The Sea Witch and Jungkook had wanted to be Sebastian The Crab. The photo was right next to the awful portrait of Jungkook that Lisa painted when they were seven. He didn't know why he kept it – it was horrendous, to be honest. But it was the first human portrait Lisa had tried to paint (emphasis on 'tried') so it was probably another important memory. Because Jungkook had better portraits of him that Lisa had painted throughout the years. He actually had a fancy cardboard box for them where his mum collected all the portraits and drawings Lisa had done for and of Jungkook – all the sketches, drawings, watercolours, acrylics, finger paints, pastels and using all kinds of techniques she had tried over the years. He also had a couple of oil paintings, too. His mum had them somewhere in the house. The pretty ones in which she painted his family, his parents, the little devil or landscapes, all the pretty ones she gifted after getting better at it (because why not try everything on Jungkook, it's perfectly fine even if he looks like a foot, right?) were hung all around the house. Some of the horribly hilarious ones were hung on his room's walls. He usually looked at them to laugh and feel better.
But now, the longer he looked at the paintings and the photos, the more he felt irritated and sad and angry and unhappy. So he just groaned and turned to the other side.
A couple of hours later he glanced out the window, it was Lisa's turn to come but she didn't and after the fight, Jungkook wasn't expecting it, really (okay he was – but just a little bit).
What he really wasn't expecting was to see Lisa's closed curtains. His mouth agape, he just stared at the dark burgundy fabric, trying to process.
Their curtains were never closed, never. That was some kind of an unofficial rule between them.
But now that they were, Jungkook knew Lisa didn't want to see him and his ears rang with the echoes of his own horrid thoughts from before. They stung his heart so painfully that the time he fell down the stairs was nothing compared to this.
With a sigh, he prepared for a sleepless night. Looked like he really had to talk to her tomorrow.
★
The next day Jungkook experienced another new and shocking thing by going to school alone.
It felt so weird and flat out wrong and it was as if the sleepless night he had wasn't bad enough.
But the real shock came when he saw Lisa sitting somewhere else in the class.
He stopped right in his spot when he saw her in the farthest corner possible from their usual seats, looking out from the window absentmindedly. And when he entered the classroom, when he was busy staring at Lisa in disbelief, the room went so horribly quiet, just like in the movies. Everyone was looking at him but Lisa didn't even turn her head.
Oh, so Jungkook was the only one at fault huh.
No way.
Clenching his teeth, he just walked and sat at his usual desk, pretending nothing happened. And just like someone switched something on, the class started buzzing with noise, most likely gossiping about him and Lisa based on the looks the two were getting.
But just like her, Jungkook decided to act unbothered.
Two could play this game.
★
"Stop looking at him," Lisa hissed at Solbi during lunch break.
"But he looks so unbothered!" Solbi whispered. "He looks so normal and it's driving me crazy!"
"He's sitting with his great team members again, I guess, that's why he doesn't care," Lisa gritted her teeth, refusing to look at his way. "Their perfect cheerleaders will come soon, too. Dirty little cockroaches, they're not even that pretty or talented, I don't get why they're being worshipped – so overrated."
"Everyone adores them," Solbi rolled her eyes. "They act so high and mighty in their stupid uniforms –"
"Girls come on," their friend Seojun, who had been sitting with them, sighed tiredly.
"I know right?!" Lisa glared, ignoring him. "That Haeyeon girl, the way she talks about Jungkook, you'd think he's in love with her or something," her voice was poisonous when uttering those words. "As if Jungkook would look at her – she's just a plastic monster – her eyes, nose, double eyelids, she has gotten all of them done –"
"And yet she's still ugly," Solbi wrinkled her nose in distaste. "All the cheerleaders have something fixed, anyway."
"She's so horrible, so ugly under all that makeup and surgeries," Lisa turned to her plate again, glaring sadly. "All of them. I don't know why they're being kept around."
"The basketball team loves them, most of them want to date those plastics –"
"Wonderful. Let them do whatever they want, I won't care either," Lisa huffed.
"You better don't," Solbi eyed her. "Mr.Jeon Jungkook seems perfectly fine. I'm gonna beat him up if he doesn't stop."
"Just leave him alone," Seojun sighed again. "He's doing it on purpose to make Lisa apologise."
"Oh no way I am doing that," Lisa pushed between her teeth. "Not after what he said."
"You still haven't told us that," Solbi said curiously.
"I don't want to," Lisa shrugged. It was bad enough to hear it once and then repeat it in her head. She didn't need to hear the same thing out loud again.
"How about some brownies, Lisa?" Seojun nudged her with his elbow, shaking her tray and Lisa smiled tiredly.
"Yeah, brownie would be fine," she pulled her plate and took her fork.
"Have mine too," Seojun pushed his plate towards her. "I hate chocolate."
Lisa shook her head, "How can someone hate chocolate, like, it is the source of all happiness? Do you hate happiness?"
"Well people have different things that make them happy," Seojun smiled, his eyes on her face as she took his brownie plate.
"Yeah but chocolate is the easiest way to reach happiness, no?" Lisa argued back, grabbing a bite as she leaned down to the table to prevent crumbs from staining her clothes.
"Yes, that one I agree. Sometimes our sources of happiness are out of reach, unfortunately," he nodded with his smile still present and reached to move a strand of Lisa's hair back to prevent it getting into chocolate.
And Lisa thanked him with a smile of her own under Solbi's inspecting eyes and the constant not-so-secret-glare from a certain table.
★
"Yup, he's flirting with her, that's for sure."
Jungkook had heard Jaehyun the first time too but hearing it a second time, he felt like his lungs were shrinking.
"Whatever," he murmured while he stabbed the meatballs in his plate, a frown on his face as he ripped his eyes off from those two and turned them to the food in front of him.
"What happened?" Jaehyun leant forward and when Jungkook looked at him, the older boy was eyeing Lisa.
"We had a fight."
"I know," Jaehyun rolled his eyes. "Everyone knows. I'm pretty sure the teachers talk about that, too."
"Hyung," Jungkook sighed. "Don't exaggerate please."
"Well if the most touchy two students of the school who had never been seen even an inch apart suddenly start ignoring each other, people will talk about that," Jaehyun shrugged, popping a chip into his mouth. "I'm asking what happened."
"She told me I'd been neglecting her," Jungkook glanced at Lisa's table only to see her laugh at that fucking Han Seojun and gritted his teeth as he turned to Jaehyun again. "Said I'd been hanging out with you guys too much. Said some things about the kids and the cheerleaders, but I don't know how they're related, to be honest."
Jaehyun had arched a brow.
"And?"
"And I just," Jungkook sighed again, lowering his fork. "I got angry, and then she got angry, and then I said something I shouldn't have said. Then she cried," he added slowly, still a little shocked by all of that had happened. "I had never made her cry before."
"What did you say to her?"
The younger one fidgeted in his seat, "I really don't want to repeat, hyung."
Saying it for the first time was ashaming enough for him. Then he heard Jaehyun sigh.
"So she was jealous."
Jungkook frowned.
"Why would she be? It's she who is preferring Kang Solbi and fucking Han Seojun's company," he gritted his teeth as he stabbed another meatball. When he took a glance at that table, he saw Lisa take a bite from her brownie as that fucking boy talked and then he – he touched her. He touched her hair to push it back and his expression was so whipped and then Lisa smiled at him. As Jungkook's stomach cramped so violently, he felt like someone was squeezing his heart painfully, he felt like a bucket full of boiling water had been poured down on him, he felt like punching something, his ears were ringing. Then that guy smiled and said something else that made Lisa laugh so prettily. And Jungkook had had enough, he slammed his fork down on the table with shaking hands, his hand automatically curled into a fist as the people closeby glanced at him warily.
"The fuck is he doing, did he just touch her, what the fuck?!" he hissed through clenched teeth, his eyes burning holes on Han Seojun's head. "Fucking moron – who does he think he is?! Making her laugh like that?! Just what could he possibly say that is this funny, really, he has the IQ of a goldfish! Like, he can't even form proper sentences in his daily life, why is he trying so hard now, it's ridiculous! Do you see how he looks at her – I swear I'm gonna gauge his fucking eyes off, that son of a bitch – if he touches her one more time I'm gonna rip those fucking arms off his body, just wait and see," he gritted his teeth this time, seething with pure rage, sight tinted red with hostility.
After a short silence, he heard Jaehyun snort.
"So you are jealous, too."
Jungkook's head whipped to the elder, "No I'm not!"
"Yes you are," Jaehyun snickered. "You couldn't make it any more obvious."
"Hyung I'm not," Jungkook clenched his teeth again, the tips of his ears were somewhat burning a little. "Can we not talk about this, please?"
★
It'd been three days now and everything was worse.
Jungkook had been having trouble sleeping and thus his performance in class was going down which made him even more upset. But the only good thing was that Lisa was having the same troubles.
She was still ignoring him though, and Jungkook was getting more bitter everyday and his frown had positively turned into sulking and he just dedicated himself to basketball for distraction.
Lisa, on the other hand, was more miserable than she let on. She was missing Jungkook terribly and she was feeling more desperate every day and her parents had tried to have her talk to him (which she refused with all her power) and she just – felt hollow.
She felt hollow without Jungkook by her side. He wasn't there for her to laugh with, to talk to, to hug, to hold, to smile and make him smile. He wasn't with her and it felt horrible, it felt wrong.
She couldn't sleep, didn't want to eat, and had a hard time concentrating on the things she should pay attention to. It was getting harder everyday. She felt broken without him, she was incomplete, imperfect.
On top of this, that fucking Jung Jaehyun had tried to stop her and talk the other day when she was on her way to class.
"Hey," he called with a stupid smile that showed his stupidly perfect teeth. "Lisa, right?"
Lisa just kept walking, refusing to acknowledge his existence. She was being so rude and disrespectful for doing something like this to someone who was her senior, she knew it, but she just didn't have it in her to look at him – he was the reason for everything.
"Look," he laughed as he trailed after her. "Can we talk a little? About Jungkook."
Lisa stopped in her tracks and turned to him, "Listen sunbae. I have no intention of talking to you, lest about him," Lisa said poisonously.
Jung Jaehyun had arched a surprised brow.
After this, Lisa continued, "So don't waste your breath, and goodbye."
Then she turned around, shaking with fury, and kept walking to her next class. But she did hear him calling after her.
"Just talk to him, okay?"
Hah, Lisa thought. As if I'm the one to blame.
★
It had been a full week since their fight when one of the biggest basketball games of the season came. Their school was hosting it and all day, everyone (including teachers) was talking only and only about the game. It was a nice change for once since Lisa and Jungkook's fight had been the strongest gossip of the school for a week straight.
The game was after school hours and normally Lisa would be one of the most enthusiastic students, bragging about her best friend and the points he definitely will score, but for most of the morning, she was just annoyed. Everyone was talking about the teams and the players and Jungkook being one of the most popular ones, he was being mentioned a lot.
Despite all her pettiness, the mood got Lisa too and when she entered the gym and sat on the bleachers, she was almost as excited as she would be if nothing had happened.
Like everyone, she looked at and cheered for their team when they entered and when her eyes met with Jungkook she just looked away. She was still hurt, after all.
★
Only two seconds left in the game, their team was losing by one point and Lisa had already lost herself in the game, sitting on the edge of her seat worriedly.
The last chance, the last shot, was Jungkook's.
If he scored that, they'd win.
Not being able to take the stress, Lisa got up like many of her fellow students, her heart beating in her ears, and she held her breath when the referee blew his whistle.
Jungkook threw the ball.
And scored.
A roar unlike Lisa had heard filled the gym and she hugged Solbi who was beside her, jumping together with joy and she could see Jungkook being smothered by his teammates.
Grinning the biggest he ever had in the last week, he was being thrown in the air as if he had scored the deciding shot for the final game and when he was standing again, he looked at Lisa.
She had the matching grin on her face.
Barely managing to untangle himself from his teammates, Jungkook jogged towards the bleachers at the same time Lisa climbed down without thinking.
They stood face to face awkwardly for a second, not realising how some of the students were watching them eagerly with expectant eyes and anticipating giggles.
It was Lisa who broke the silence with a smack on his arm.
"Ow!" he grimaced.
Lisa glared at him and started smacking his arm repeatedly, "Jerk! You're so horrible! I hate you! You had promised not to make me cry again and guess what – you did, you liar! And it was so terrible of yours to say that, how can you even say that of all people to me, Jeon Jungkook, you nitwit! That's just so disgusting and you hurt me so much and –"
"I'm sorry Lisa," Jungkook cut her words, grabbing her hand in her next smack. "I know I'm horrible and that was a despicable thing to say. I know I hurt you and I'm terribly sorry. Please forgive me. Life's been a nightmare."
Mouth open, Lisa stared at him, not realising she had been clutching his arm, his hand holding hers tightly.
Jungkook had some pink on his cheeks and looked around uncomfortably before turning to her with a huff, "It's just. I missed you. You're my best friend."
Blinking a couple of times, Lisa just pouted, knowing he was weak for it, "You broke your promise."
"I know," Jungkook sighed. "I'm an asshole. I accept that. Okay? Don't pout."
He looked at her with such hopeful eyes that Lisa felt the icy hurt around her heart melting. Finally, her lips curved with a smile in slow motion.
"Well," she pretended to be contemplating his words. "As long as you know, I guess."
"Ugh!" Jungkook threw his hands up and Lisa, with a giggle, just got up to her tiptoes and hugged him. His arms instantly hugged her back, raising her off the ground just a little higher than normal but it was high enough for Lisa's feet to sort of hover and dangle in the air.
They didn't even hear the cheers and the meaningful 'oooooooohh's and laughters.
"The last shot was for us," Jungkook whispered to her hair when he lowered and put her on the ground, still refusing to let go as Lisa froze in his arms.
"What??" she whispered back, her eyes unfocused as she stared at the wall ahead of her unseeingly, hands clutching his jersey on his shoulders.
"I had had enough not talking to you. I was trying to get some courage. Was going to come and apologise in front of everybody if I scored that."
"What if you didn't?" Lisa lightly smacked his shoulder.
She heard him laugh, "I was gonna apologise privately."
Giggling herself, Lisa leant her head against his, "I missed you too, Kook. So much."
Jungkook let out a relieved sigh as his arms tightened around her waist, pressing her closer to himself to feel his sweet girl in his arms completely after such a long time, like he could finally breathe again. And Lisa closed her eyes with a happy little smile on her lips. She slid her arms to wrap them around his neck tightly, and turned her face to his neck despite him being soaked in sweat because underneath all, all she felt was the familiar warmth that surged from his body to envelop hers and her heart was singing in content.
They were still together in the gym even long after people left, even after the coach had talked to the team and the janitors cleaned the place, sitting on one of the benches, holding hands and going over every second of the game. Jungkook was occasionally brushing her hair back as he talked, and Lisa dabbed the sweat on his face dry with the towel she held as she listened to him.
Two halves of a whole, becoming one again in that special bubble of theirs.
★
That evening, after celebrating the win at Jeons' with a spectacular dinner, Lisa and Jungkook went up to the rooftop to watch the stars. They talked about everything they missed in each other's lives in the last week no matter how trivial it was, be it the taste of the new sandwich Lisa tried in lunch or the math quiz Jungkook failed spectacularly. All through the conversation they sat as close as possible, Lisa leant her head on his shoulder and he rested his head on hers.
Around midnight they went to Jungkook's room to finally have a nice sleep since it was a weekday.
"I haven't slept properly for a week," Lisa sighed when they settled, the bed was a little cramped since they were bigger now, but it was familiar and she was content with just being with him.
"Tell me about it," Jungkook yawned. "I was afraid I'd pass out during the game."
Lisa gasped in shock, her head whipping towards him, "Oh my god, I don't even want to think about that!"
"Probably then you would come and talk to me first," Jungkook nudged her.
Lisa's gaze turned into a glare, "It's not funny. If that happened I would probably have a heart attack first, and then I'd lose my mind over worrying about you, and then I'd cry for a week straight because I'd feel so guilty."
"Can we not talk about you crying anymore?" Jungkook huffed. "It makes me uncomfortable."
"I'll keep you to your promise again," Lisa rolled onto her right side to face him and Jungkook followed her closely, rolling onto his left.
"Yeah. Sorry about that again," he bit his lip.
Lisa looked at his lips, how he chewed the lower one worriedly and then she smiled, looking up to his eyes.
"Yeah, me too. I shouldn't have been that childish. I just," she lowered her gaze to his chest, gathering up courage to confess. "I was worried that you now liked him better than me since you have a lot of things in common and he's a boy. And since you've gotten into the team you've made so many friends – and no, I know it's normal and I'm happy for you, I promise – I just thought maybe I wasn't THE friend anymore because I'm a girl. But then you went and started to hang out with those cheerleaders," her voice got sharper and her eyes flashed dangerously for one second. Jungkook frowned.
"What do cheerleaders have to do with this?"
Lisa glared for some reason, "They're just all over you all the time. And you seemed to get along with them so well, like, I saw you hang out with those girls, they're always talking about you, especially the leader – you know, that oh-so-great Haeyeon – they way she talks about you as if she owns you – it's just so disgusting –"
"Who is Haeyeon?" Jungkook asked in honest confusion. He had his frown on again as he tried to remember but he couldn't come up with any faces. Lisa raised her brows in disbelief.
"Seriously Kook?"
He shrugged, "I don't know, I never pay attention to them. Like, it's gonna sound like an asshole thing but when they're around they're like sort of just there for me. I don't know their names. I mean – honestly? They all look the same in those uniforms. I only know there are like, eleven of them –"
"Seven," Lisa corrected, biting her lip to not laugh. He huffed.
"Seven, whatever. And I know that one of them is Jihyung's sister or something –"
"Cousin," Lisa corrected again, her face finally breaking into a smile this time. Jungkook rolled his eyes.
"Whatever. And this is all I know, really. And I don't really care either," he shrugged again.
Her mood seemed to have gotten much better, her eyes shone for a moment or two. A beautiful, satisfied smile curved her lips. He just stared at her, fascinated by the change, and she looked away.
"Anyway. I just don't like it when they swarm around you, it's so annoying. The way they talk and act like they know you so well makes me mad. I don't like them. I don't want them near you, I don't want them talking to you, I don't want them talking about you. I just... I just hate it when they're around you," she said quietly, still looking away and for some reason, Jungkook's heart skipped a beat or two, leaving him holding his breath.
There was a moment of silence where Jungkook blurted out a quiet, "Okay, I'll ditch them."
Her eyes shot up to his as if she couldn't believe what he said.
"Really?"
"Really," Jungkook said immediately. He wasn't completely aware of what he was saying to be honest, but he just didn't care as long as she was happy. Looking intently at her eyes, he murmured, "I'll do whatever makes you happy."
Lisa held his eyes for a moment, and then she smiled in a pleased way and replied with a quiet, "Good. Then stay away."
The way her face was glowing caused something to stir and grow in Jungkook's chest before stopping his heartbeat again, a painful but somehow pleasant ache replacing it.
Unaware of this, Lisa looked at him as she continued, "I just felt like I was becoming less and less important in your life and that we were drifting apart. I don't know," she sighed, feeling her cheeks heat up even more. And she whispered shyly, "I was jealous, I guess. A bit too much, maybe. I couldn't stand it."
Jungkook was busy gaping at her, at how pink the highs of her cheeks were and at how small she sounded as she confessed her jealousy and how shy her eyes were as she avoided looking at him, shining with embarrassment, and how pretty and adorable she looked. His heart started to beat wildly all of a sudden, something warm exploded in his chest that made him feel extremely pleased out of nowhere, and his face heated up.
"Well that's dumb," he said, grinning stupidly wide.
Lisa whipped her head up with a frown and pinched his arm, "I'm being sincere here, don't be an asshole!"
Laughing, Jungkook poked her tummy.
"Well I'm serious too."
Turning around with a huff, Lisa laid on her back, embarrassed and so prettily pink, but Jungkook grabbed her arm and turned her around to face him again.
"I'm sorry too," he started with a small smile that disappeared while he started to explain himself. "I was also bitter about you not coming to my practises and always hanging around with Kang Solbi and that Han Seojun –" he unintentionally gritted his teeth after Seojun's name, making Lisa blink in confusion.
"What?"
"For real, he is the one who's actually all over you, isn't he?" Jungkook said with distaste. "Like, he follows you everywhere, always tries to sit next to you, talk to you, and the way he just looks at you – I swear to god I'm gonna kill him next time he lays his eyes on you like that –" he hissed in fury, eyes unfocused as he remembered the boy's expression.
"What are you talking about?" Lisa frowned. "He's just a friend."
"Friend my ass," Jungkook laughed darkly. "For you he is a friend okay, but for him? Don't make me laugh. You should've seen his face everytime we didn't sit together or we walked past each other this week, that fucking expression on his hideous face, he was on fucking cloud nine. He tails after you everywhere. He even dares to touch you Lisa, like, who does he think he is – and if he does it one more time, I'm gonna rip that arm and –"
"Kook," Lisa interrupted in shock, not sure what was going on. "What are you saying?"
Jungkook turned his eyes to her and there was so much hostility in them, "I'm saying that I hate it when he's around you, I hate it. I hate how he is looking at you like that – I hate how he's touching you like that – it makes me sick and I just –" he stopped abruptly and closed his eyes, took a deep breath.
He was so angry for some reason that Lisa couldn't fathom and the hostile expression he had should've been downright shocking, but Lisa felt warm and excited, her heart in her chest was fluttering so fast, it ached.
While waiting for him to open his eyes, Lisa parted her lips as if instinctively, not aware that she was even speaking before she heard her own voice, "Okay. I'll stay away from him."
His eyes opened immediately, they were so dark and threatening still and he looked at her for a while, "Promise, then."
"I promise," Lisa whispered immediately, without caring about what it is. "Whatever you want."
Corners of his lips curved up slightly, looking a bit pleased now, "Good."
Lisa finally took a relieved breath as they both looked at each other in silence.
When he started again, he was calmer, but not completely as there still was some bitterness in his voice.
"Anyway," he began, trying to keep his calm, and tentatively reached out to push her hair back again, holding a strand delicately to put it behind her ear. And when his fingertips brushed her neck, Lisa closed her eyes with a faint shiver. Then Jungkook, who wasn't sure what that meant, pulled his hand back, this time brushing against her jawline softly and Lisa slowly opened her eyes, blushing so hard, it was visible even in the dark. Heat radiated off her skin as her eyes twinkled.
Jungkook, unable to look away from her eyes, licked his lips before continuing, "I thought you had found yourself better company, I guess. You're in the art club and Solbi is in the art club too and that boy is in the drama club, so," he shrugged. "I guess I thought you had more things in common than I thought we had now."
Lisa was watching him with an open mouth for a while and there it was, the dark flush on his face, the black strands of his fringe falling into his glimmering eyes. And she could feel her face heat up even more, her heartbeat had already sped up wildly somewhere in between his words.
"What I mean is," Jungkook looked around for a second before turning to Lisa and holding her eyes. "I was jealous, too. It was torturous. I couldn't bear it."
And then Lisa's heart stopped beating. She couldn't feel her pulse for a second there. She couldn't breathe. A heat so fierce that it could've been a fever rushed to her face, making her eyes glisten. Amidst of all these, she felt so pleased that its intensity was a shock even to her.
There was a short silence where they just looked at each other and then Lisa, her heart beating in her ears for no logical reason, smiled bright and blinding.
"Well that's dumb."
Frustrated, Jungkook laughed and laid on his back.
"Well I'm glad we sorted this out, we're both dumb."
Letting out a happy giggle and feeling sunshine overflow in her chest, Lisa wiggled forward to rest her head on his shoulder.
"I missed you so much, Kook. Everything felt so wrong without you. I felt... empty."
Jungkook sighed and turned his body to hers again, "Yeah me too."
"Can we... " Lisa started, avoiding his eyes for a second and then braved herself to look at him, his eyes were big and waiting.
"Can we hug tonight?" she completed her sentence, voice small and insecure and bit her lip nervously since it was something they had never done before.
And after a pause Jungkook just nodded and opened his arms.
"Yeah. Yeah, that'd be perfect."
Exhaling a relieved breath, Lisa snuggled closer and made herself comfortable, wiggling a little when his arms wrapped around her tightly.
"This isn't weird, right?" she asked, hesitatingly.
"No, Liz. It's not," Jungkook reassured her with a sigh.
"Others –"
"We're not them, Liz. We're us," he smiled softly into her hair.
He could picture her smile.
"Night, Kook."
"Night, Lisa."
And only moments after she closed her eyes, both hands resting on his chest, she heard Jungkook murmur into her hair.
"You'll always be my favourite person, you know that, right? Forever."
Her eyes flew open at instant and Lisa could feel all her blood rush to her head, her heart beating frantically and she inhaled sharply before she could stop herself.
"Just saying. You're my Lisa, my girl," Jungkook squeezed her and Lisa could only nod, taking her left arm out to wrap around him and her both hands clutched his shirt tightly.
"You too. Always my favourite among all people," she whispered. "My Jungkook."
And not-so-surprisingly, they just laid there for some time, confused, nervous but feeling strangely excited, pleased, and most importantly complete.
That's how they fell into a peaceful sleep after seven sleepless nights.
★
When Mrs.Jeon and Mrs.Manoban saw them three or four hours later, they smiled at how tangled their children were. Arms and legs tangled and Lisa had almost disappeared in his arms, face not visible.
"He's smothering her," Mrs.Manoban whispered.
Mrs.Jeon grinned, "Well you can't blame him, can you? My boy has been so miserable these last few days."
"And I'd never seen Lisa that unhappy," Mrs.Manoban provided information. "She was just so... hollow."
"Considering how hard she's holding on, I'd say she's doing okay now," Mrs.Jeon teased her friend and Mrs.Manoban laughed silently.
"It really was time."
"I don't think we'll ever be able to separate them now," Mrs.Jeon said, taking a step back to close the door.
"Not like we ever could," Mrs.Manoban followed her, closing the door as quietly as possible. "They're married after all."
Trying to hold her laugh back, Mrs.Jeon settled with grinning, "I better grab my camera quickly."
"One for us, too!" Mrs.Manoban whisper-yelled.
As the two women giggled silently, behind the closed door, a sleeping Lisa sighed in content and buried her face more into Jungkook's chest.
His only response was hugging her tighter.
★彡
A/N: So what do you guys think? I hope you liked it *fingers crossed* Thank you so much for waiting and reading, it means a lot to me, really ❤️ See you in the next update!
Till then,
Love,
Olivia ❤️