"What‽" I say almost screaming. Before I can say anything else he kisses me.
"Sorry, I like Sam," he says pulling away. "I was just trying to make Jungkook jealous." He nods his head to Jungkook who is looking at the two of us. He begins to run towards me and Jimin. He swings his fist at Jimin and punches him in the jaw.
"You bastard why would you do that?" He asks shaking Jimin.
So he doesn't hate me then.
"Come on Ai-yeon, let's go," Jungkook says. He grabs my wrist. I pull it away from him in pain as he's grabbed my tattoo.
"Fuck," I say fanning it with my hand and blowing on it. Jungkook looks at my wrist then back to me.
"When did this happen?" He asks looking at it. I shake it and ut it down by my side.
"About an hour ago," I tell him. My head stings a little from a headache that's come out of nowhere.
"I think I love you."
"Who said that?" I ask myself out loud. I scratch my head.
"Who said what?" Jungkook asks. I give him a death stare.
"Why do care?" I ask him. His eyes open wide. He looks like he's shocked. I begin to walk away again but he grabs my wrist, luckily this time the one without a tattoo.
"Come with me," he says out of the blue. I pull my wrist out of his grasp and ask why I should.
"Just listen to me," he says. "Just listen to me for once." I roll my eyes and walk away. I keep walking and he doesn't seem to follow me ,neither does Jimin. I walk down the empty streets, looking in the shop windows. There's nothing. Well there's nothing that interests me. I reach my block of houses. I pause and look into the park. I get out my phone and text Ru-Ri not to worry about me. I go into the park and sit on the swings. The cigarettes Jungkook smokes are laying around on the floor. I kick the woodchips around my feet. I look down at my tattoo.
"I miss you," I say to it. "I miss you so much Dad." I got the tattoo so I'll never forget about my Dad. It's a butterfly because he gave me a necklace when I was very little with a butterfly on it. The butterfly is surrounded by music because he would always sing, he barely ever stopped. I begin to swing back and forth on the swing. I do it about 4 times before I'm caught by my waist up in the air. I turn my head to see Jungkook standing there. I jump off of the swing.
"Hello Ai-yeon," he smiles. I can't help but smile back, I have a soft spot for the man.
"Hello Jungkook," I say sitting back in my swing. He comes round and sits next to me.
"I want to explain something to you," he says. "And I want to apologise for saying that I hate you. I could never hate you." I sigh and nod my head for him to go on. "The truth is I said that I hate you because of everything that is happening at the moment. My family want me to get married and I've felt like I have no say in my life. I'm sorry for taking it out on you."
"Jungkook," I interrupt. "I understand."
"No you don't," he says. I put my finger on his lips and shush him.
"Yes I do," I tell him. "I even know about you and Tae being step brothers. And I know about what happened to your Dad. And I will help you through it. I lost my Dad too."
"But how do you know?" He asks his eyes beginning to tear up. There's a rustling in the leaves. "Did Jimin tell you?"
"Not exactly," I explain. "I went to Tae's house today to him about the fact we had sex, but when I got there, I heard your mother speaking. After you stormed out Jimin turned up and we went out. Whilst we were out he told me about the stuff that had happened with you and Tae, as well as telling his own story." Jungkook let's out a huge sigh. "We need to relax." He nods, then his eyes light up.
"Come to America with me," he says holding my hands. "In the break come to America." I look at him shocked. "Come on it'll be fun." I smile in excitement. It'll be nice to get away from all this drama for a bit.
"I'd love to," I say throwing my arms around him to give him a hug. He kisses me. It relieves my stress. I kiss him back. I'd love to be like this forever.
I'm sorry Tae but I don't think I love you anymore.
I begin to cry. I don't whether it's happiness or sadness. I want to smile so much but at the same time I want to cry my eyes out. The tears run silently down my face. One goes down my nose and lands on our kiss. Jungkook pulls away having tasted the salt. He looks at me and cups my face in his hand.
"Why are you crying?" He asks me. I shake my head and tell him I don't know. He hugs me tightly.
"Whatever it is, it'll be alright Ai-yeon," he comforts. I lean in closer to his chest gripping the shoulders of his shirt. I smile as I cry into his top.
"You should go home now," he suggests. I agree. He walk me to the front door. I notice a packet of cigarettes poking out of his pocket. I take them and hit him on the nose. He smiles.
"I told you to stop," I pout. He smirks.
"I'll do it for you I promise," he says cutely. I pat him on the head and take the cigarettes with me. I open the door. I walk in and I am immediately embraced by Ru-Ri.
"Where have you been?" She asks looking at me. "What were you doing? Who were you with?" I put my hair behind my ear. She looks at it.
"You didn't?"
"I did," I smile.
"Why would you do that?" She asks. "You shouldn't get piercing, what would your mother think?"
"She'll be fine with it," I say. "I also got." I pull up my back sleeve to show the tattoo.
"Oh my god Ai-yeon," she says. "You're such an idiot."
***
"Hey look who's back," Jang-Mi says pointing to the front of the class. "HEY JUNGKOOK!" She shouts to him causing him to turn around. He smiles and waves at us. I smile back to him. He walks to join us. He puts his arm round my shoulder and pulls me closer to him.
"Oi oi Ai-yeon," Jang-Mi teases. "I thought you were together with Tae."
"She is," Jungkook says. It sends a snap pain through my chest. "We're just friends." There goes another pain.
"Yep that's all," I smile knowing it's best I just go along with he's saying.
"What, not even best friends?" He asks pouting slightly. He pushes his glasses up his nose.
"Fine best friends it is," I smile pulling his glasses back down. I turn my head to see Jang-Mi, Na-yu and Seulgi staring at me and Jungkook.
"What?" I ask.
"You two are so cute together," Seulgi says cutely.
"I told you we're not dating," I say. I realise I'm still holding hands with Jungkook, so I grab my hands out of his.
"We know," Jang-Mi says. "But your friendship is cute too." I smile. "So what you guys up to over the holiday?" She asks as we grab our stuff together and leave.
"I'm going to see my family again," Seulgi says. "And my boyfriend."
"You have a boyfriend?" I ask. She takes her phone out and shows me a picture of him. He's pale and is wearing only black. His eyes are soft and he sits playing a piano. His mint hair contrasts the black and white of the image.
"He's my Suga," she tells me. "His name is Min Yoongi." I smile sweetly. They are both short and pale. She flicks the image to show one of the two of them together. Yoongi is resting his head on her shoulder as she holds up their hands in the middle. She has a ring on. It looks really expensive.
"Who got you that?" I ask pointing at the ring in the photo. Her cheeks go bright red.
"Yoongi did," she says softly whilst blushing. "It's our... it's my promise ring." I can't help but "aw" because of it.
That's adorable. They promised themselves to each other.
"Anyway back to the holiday topic," Jang-Mi interrupts. "Na-yu what are you doing?" Na-yu shrugs.
"Probably something with my father," she answers.
"Okay," Jang-Mi sighs. "What about you two?" She looks at Jungkook and me.
"I'm going to America," we say in sync. Jang-Mi raises one of her eyebrows and smirks.
"Yes we are going together," I admit. She wiggled her eyebrows at us before sighing.
"You guys all have such exciting lives," she says putting her hands behind her head and yawning. "I'm suck at home doing basically nothing." We all laugh.
"Oh Ai-yeon. I thought I'd tell you, I like the new piercings," she smiles. I grasp my ear having completely forgotten they were there.
"Oh thanks," I smile. Ru-Ri comes over and grabs my arm. She pulls me away quickly and we run out of the building.
"Ru-Ri why are we running?" I ask.
"Don't you remember, it's my first day at work today," she explains opening up her car and the both of us climb in. "And I might be late now."
"Ru-Ri are you sure you're ready?" I ask.
"Yes I'm sure," she answers. "I'll be fine." She turns the car on and we head to where she is going to start work. As we drive along I decide I need to make conversation.
"Ru-Ri, what was your plan for the upcoming holiday?" I ask. She purses her lips like she usually does when she's thinking.
"I don't know," she answers. "I suppose I'll just spend it with you." I feel a little guilty.
"Or I could spend it with Jin."
"Well," I begin. "You see, the thing is... the thing is I'm going to America." She brakes the car so quickly that I almost get thrown out of my seat. Then I notice a little cat walking across in front of us. She starts the car again.
"Since when were you going to America?" She asks as the car turns a corner. "And who are you going with?"
"I'm going with..." I pause for a second. "With Jungkook. And he asked me to go with him on Saturday." She nods but doesn't respond.
The car pulls into a parking space. We both get out. She locks our bags in the back of the car and then we start walking in. We reach the front desk were there's a lady in a pink jacket, red lipstick and a black bow tie sitting waiting for people. She looks up at us then chooses to ignore our existence. Ru-Ri puts her hand on the table and she finally acknowledges that we are there.
"Hello how may I help you?" she says in a humourless tone. She looks down the end of her nose at us. Judging us.
"I'm here to Mr Park Ryeo-ok," Ru-Ri tells the lady. She looks at us in shock.
"Do you have appointment?" The lady asks. Ru-Ri shakes her head.
"No but I do have his card," she pulls out his card from her pocket. It has a shopping list on the back. I put my hand in my head and sigh.
"Very well, I'll call him," she replies. She types in his number number on the phone. She holds it up to her ear. "Hello Mr Park," she says. "I have a girl named..."
"Chae Ru-Ri," Ru-Ri says for us. "Oh and Kim Ai-yeon."
"I have two girls waiting here for you, Chae Ru-Ri and Kim Ai-yeon," she tells him. "Ok I'll send them up." She puts down the phone and writes a note telling us where we need to go to find the modelling agency's room.
We walk up the stairs. The reach the second floor where it should be and head down the corridor. There are so many rooms and so many numbers. It's extremely disorienting. I feel like I've walk round the same corner so many times. We finally reach the correct door. Ru-Ri knocks. The door opens and the room is absolutely huge. All the door that we thought lead into rooms were actually doors to nothing.
"Hello how can I help you?" Asks the man at the door.
"I'm here for Mr Park Ryeo-ok," Ru-Ri answers. The guy shouts backwards into the room. Within seconds Mr Park turns up at the door.
"Hello Miss Ru-Ri," he says to her.
"Hello Dad."