THE RED LINE
Jungkook
Sitting at the bar with my cousin, I look at the line up empty bottle from so many brand of alcohol. I had myself Irish bomb, Yoongi Hyung favourite drink back in Malta. I come back home after long time over seas. My mother said she feels like honeymoon when she just alone with her boyfriend. They are getting serious.
Jimin tell me that they are cooking together last time he come visit, she asking him when will I come home. In fact that I barely visit my mom and busy taking care of work and Prudence. She understand that I still need to 'heal'. And she believed that Amy is the only one that can handle me in every aspect of my struggles.
Yet, she's wrong at some point.
"Taehyung had his own art gallery now in Damyang, we should take a look some time." Jimin beaming next to me talking about our best friend. I look at him carelessly.
"Yeah? I haven't heard of him since his wedding."
"Because you pull yourself out of the circle since he got married to your ex, it's obvious that you didn't accept them." He stating the facts. I gulp down my Irish bomb and asking for another glass. This strong alcohol enter my body adding the hot sensation I could feel in every organs. Including my kidneys.
"He could have found someone else." I said again, eagerly drinking the alcoholic beverages.
"Love find them, it's the reason why they are together now."
I scoffed. "Bullshit, there's no such a thing, just you know that, V Hyung always wanted her to be his girlfriend, but guess what, he never serious about it, I don't know what makes him decide to marry her."
"What make you say that?"
"Because I know, Jimin." I glare at him.
"Well, I can agree with you about him can find someone better, I mean he is not her first, she married before, worse, to a gang leader."
I look at my cousin who had very small knowledge about what really happened. He only ogle to one red line without seeing the branches of it. Remember that trees is always had a root to grow, where everything started from the bottom when he only sees a dry leave ready to fall and being crushed.
That was Y/n when everyone is misunderstand about her.
"She has no choice." I look away annoyingly.
"You said, she's cheating on you. Taehyung shouldn't be fall for a cheater like her. I mean I like her before when she was still single. She's hot and beautiful, and chef too. Her innocent making me want to protect her, but I'm not that kind of man, she seems to be wanted serious relationship when I still want to having fun with no seriousness at all. We don't match, but being her friend is a blessing."
I get to know the fact that he also wanted her. Bastard. I laugh dryly.
"You try to hit on her?"
"Well, yeah, taking her to one date and after, but I changed my mind when I heard you talk with Taehyung that morning."
Which morning?
My brain try to collect the memory, but I guess not everything comes back. So I rather asked.
"What do you hear?"
"It was about a window accident. I was curious if you ever tell the truth so I come back upstairs to prove it." I widened my eyes I surprised.
"What the hell are you saying? Did you spying on her?" He raised both of his hand as if he is surender when I was ready to punch him.
"Chill, dude, she's not her room when I look at her window, but I can clearly see every corner of her room. Man you're really blessed with that view." He nudge my shoulder playfully.
"Shut up!" I drink my beverage to hide my smile. I remember watching her body that day when she just moving in. She was, gorgeous.
"So, do you really see her naked?" He teased me again. I put my glass harshly and glare at him.
"What the fuck, Jimin, stop that, I'm not talking about it."
"Sorry, I'm just curious."
Typical Jimin, he will not stop until he got the answer.
"So, you're coming with me to Damyang?"
Back to the top, V Hyung owned art gallery now. Let's focus on that.
"I'm not sure, let me adjust with Amy's schedule. I can't leave house when the girls is staying alone without their guard."
"Alright. He hosted an exhibition with art gallery owner from Japan this Christmas, if you free you should come."
"I make no promises. But I will find a good time to come." This smirks was means something else.
And seeing them as a husband and wife again. I don't know if I'm ready for that. But backing off is just slightly confessed that I'm a coward. I'm not, not in a million years, I will faced the worse situation even it hurts me.
"Ah, Jungkook-ah, I almost forgot." I look at him searching something from his coat pocket. And the he found one.
"My friend had a party tonight, it's her birthday, I think you should come," he said, give me the invitation card written my name on it.
"Who is she? Lily?"
"She's Korean Russian. Beautiful and single, you should at least introduce yourself."
"Why would I? I'm not interested." I put down the card on the table and bottoms up my second glass.
"Just try, you'll love it, I'll be there too."
His final word demand me to come no matter the reasons he won't accept. More like forcing me to come. I click my tongue and grab the card and shove it carelessly in my jacket before we leave the bar.
At the end of the day, I bailed on that party Jimin invited me to. A week later after our arrival from Daegu, I drive back to Gwangju and here I am. Standing next to her again.
What I missed? She looks so gorgeous on that chef jacket. As much as I imagine her cooking I my kitchen after our nights together, she would wear my flimsy white shirt only and cooking me a breakfast was such a turn on. I wouldn't deny it but not today.
Its just time to make it right.
"...reserved for VIP on the phone. Which one is available for me?"
She was shocked to see me. Her reaction was precious. And it's always the same whenever she saw me in her restaurant. If I was right, my guess that she will pushed me away rather than escorting me in to the VIP room I requested.
She open the door and step aside to let me in. The same room I've order years ago in here. I walk in with much of confidence. Walking towards the window who has so much legend for me, I smile as I hear the door being closed, I turn around and saw her already put on her apron and ready to cook. And here we go, the key words.
"Welcome to our restaurant, Sir, this VIP room you'll get the opportunity being served by the owner chef. Would you like me to offer you the menu, or you have your own recommendation?"
Seeing her face telling me all of this as such giving me my medicine. I missed her so damn much.
"I want kimchi fried rice with meat. Cold noodles and chocolate cake for desserts." She smile at my request.
"You sure that's all?"
"Yeah,"
She's nod, walking towards the fridge to take out the ingredient.
"I want the rice is cooked. I don't want instant rice." She raised her brows in disbelief, knowing I was just trying to prolonged her works.
"Okay."
She start cooking and I just watch her, I feel satisfied she didn't even protest of me being her or pushing me away. Maybe I could talk to her now. She seems didn't mind about it.
"Y/n, don't act like I'm a stranger. There's no one here but us." She look up being interested by what I just said to her. It's sounds like an offer to me.
"I know it is, I'm just being professional."
"What? Serving VIP?"
"That's why we're here, only if you reserved our regular table I can consider to give an old friend a company."
Now it's my turn to raise my brows, accepting her challenge.
"You are?"
"Yeah."
She start with the chocolate cakes she knew I like them.
"Are we cool now?" I can't believe that she made everything easy for me to approach, if she was the gate keeper, she would've open them willingly to let me in.
"You said you wanna be friends with me. I behave to friends do."
Her smile appear, I like it when her eyes looking at me as she smiled. It feels like the road I've been through worth to continue.
"Your husband okay with us being friends?"
Her smile fade, I know she would feel somehow offended by this question, but I'll about it whatsoever.
"Of course he wouldn't. He must thought how much you were crossing the line. But I can't stop you from coming, Jungkook, that's your purpose to be here, right?"
"Is that why you were so afraid when I approached you back in Daegu?"
She put down her spatula after setting the dough at the pan. She walk to the oven and put the pan inside and she go back to me. Working on another dish I request.
"What do you expect from my reaction? My husband is around, I was at my law's house and alone in the kitchen with my ex."
"Your law doesn't know that I'm your ex."
"But he knew, why does if matter when they saw me talking to you in the kitchen when everyone is outside, they will judge what they see no matter how much you try to explain what really happened."
Her voice raise a little, unleashed her stress on me. But that's fine, which mean she still trust me.
I don't know how she feel about me right now. But I was just hoping that I never completely lost her. I will hold on to the smallest chance if I have to because I want her back.
"You want the cold noodles in a large or medium serve?"
"Medium."
"Okay."
Her skilled hands working fast at the food. The delicious aroma coating the whole room and my stomach growling in hunger.
She put the medium serve cold noodles in the table, next one was kimchi fried rice and the last, one piece of chocolate cake. Everything it perfect and too good to be eaten.
"Anything else you want?" She ask, which I have a better answer for that.
"Your time." she slump in her seat with smile on her face, there is no sign of refusal she will ultimated to me.
"Stay here, Y/n."
"My daughter is down stairs with my friend, I feel bad leaving then too long while my job is done."
"But I read here in privacy policy, the chef will stay with the guest until they leave, it is the right of VIP customers. You made that rules, Y/n, you're not gonna be the one who against it."
She smirked, enjoying my victory smile. But instead of answering me, she took out her phone to make a call.
"Isla, are you going home anytime soon? I think I'm staying at the VIP now, can you bring my daughter upstairs? What? Alright, thank you so much, I'll buy you flowers."
When she is done with the phone call, she place her phone on the counter, I can see her wallpaper was her and him, with their child, Irish is in the picture too, they look great together but it brings me sorrow to me.
"I can stay, my daughter sleep. My friend stay with her for awhile."
"Thank you." She just nod and move away from her chair, walking to the fridge to take out a box of strawberry and milk.
"You want strawberry smoothies? It's free." She said, her words coating with playfulness. I smile as everything went so great.
"Sure."
"You like yogurt?"
"Very."
I bit my lip, enjoying her smile shyly look away and focus on cutting the fruit and put them on the blender. I watch her every move, she took out the ice and two glasses back while waiting for the blending is done.
The milk shake is pretty, she put strawberry jam, draw a Micky mouse character and put strawberry slices too.
"Here you go."
"Thank you."
She return to her seat across to me, enjoying her smoothie but her eyes focus on her phone. I hate this interaction because when she's with me, she has to at least, look at me.
"Have you eat yet?"
Finally she pushed away her phone and look at me.
"Yes, but it's almost lunch, I don't eat in this hour." She always says that.
"Why not, it's 10 am."
"Because my digestive system is resting, I can give anymore work for them."
That thing is even thought about?
I smile at her excuse. The reason why she's so perfect, because she give every small detail about her life attention. Even her nails is pretty, light and glossy.
"Why you come back, Jungkook?" Stare at her, she is showing her concern.
"I was never left, Y/n."
"Really, Jimin says that he go back to Seoul yesterday, you're with him, aren't you?"
"I wanna spend time here, he says that V Hyung have an exhibition soon. I'd like to see it."
"That will be in two months."
I nod, when someone times were silent, she let me finished the food. She didn't say anything but stay there which I'm grateful that she did. She clean the kitchen and make another dessert.
I gather my plates as I'm about to bring it to the sink but the she noticed.
"Oh no, let me do it." She try to get the plates from my hands, which of course, our hands touches, causing her to look up in surprise. Even it's not first time but still, she would feel awkward.
"Just sit down, I'll clean up." She pull away her hand and bring the dirty plate to the sink.
"But I wanna help." I'm standing next to her.
"I'm fine, this is my job."
"Alright."
I turn around and lean my hip on the counter, crossing my arms as I watch her doing her job. She felt my intense gaze on he, her cheeks were red, clearly she felt something. When she is done with the dishes, she took off her gloves and apron to place it back in drawer.
"I will come tomorrow as a regular costumer, you meant what you said about give an old friend a company?"
She smile shyly looking down he shoes but then facing up to me again.
"Let me see if I have time to give an old friend, a company. Or I could tell someone else to do it for you."
"I don't want nobody else."
Her lips lift up in disbelief but she doesn't want to show it to me, yet she failed. I can easily noticed her small details.
"Don't do this, Jungkook."
"Do what?" She sighs.
"You're crossing the line, I didn't tell him that you stay because I don't know where to start, not that fact is remained secret and I feel guilty keeping it from him. And now you're here, declares that you'll come again. What actually you've looking for? I'm confused." She seems to be keeping her feeling since the first time I came here. She just clever to hold it back.
"You want me to tell him?"
"No, just stop there, you're not behaving like this when I got married, then why now?"
"I told you that I still love you, I will do whatever to stay close with you."
"Fine, you wanna go there, you really wanna cross the red line?"
"As long as I'm with you."
I look at her in the eyes, she has so much to say in her head, and gathering her courage to finally let it out.
"If I tell you that I don't love you anymore, will you back off?"
"Somebody could love two people in the same time equally." I step closer, challenging her.
"I'm not that somebody."
"Then I will make you be that somebody. I will make you love me again, Y/n." I raise my hand and touched her chin, lifting up her face closer to me, I stare at her lips. Telling her that I mean business.
"The reason why I get all my memory back is because the universe is not ready to separate us. That day will come, the day you're gonna be mine."
Her breathing fanning my lips tempting me to lean down and kiss her, but I won't. She breathe heavily pulling herself away from my torturous stare shaking her heart. At that moment, her phone rings, snapping her back to the reality. She looked shocked as she pick up the phone.
"Yes? I'll be there."
She put the phone back on her pocket.
"I have to go." Out of her stress, she still manage to say goodbye, I appreciate her little attention and care yo not leave me hanging.
"Wait," I hold her arm, she look up to me confused.
"I meant what I said, Y/n."
She didn't protest or give me the feedback. She just simply remove my hand from her arm before she left the room.
Out if this ambiguity, I can feel the little hope that she still love me too.
I leave the room, bringing the paper back with the cake she made. Reaching the lobby, I put on my mask and walk out the restaurant. In the parking lot I still saw her with V Hyung. He lean on his car while hugging her waist.
What the fuck?
I froze at my place, my opponent already stabbed my war prologue with a sword, right on my heart. I went yo my car and close the door. World still bright in nearly afternoon, the two love birds having their romantic chat before lunch. Her hands was on her neck while his hands is all over her. Even his long finger teasingly drawing circle on her hip.
The breathe calmly and turn on the ignition. Driving away from the scenery.
The scenery hurt. But soon will be my happy ending.