Yeri acted her way through the entire week. She acted as if everything that happened didn't matter; that his gaze never affected her as much any other artist's gaze should, that conversations with him were forced and boring, that she was putting on a facade of who she really is.
But the truth is, everytime he sketched her and she catches a glimpse of his dark pupils dancing to every crook and cranny of her body, admiring every feature and scouring every flaw - her breath hitches and her heart beats faster - he looks at all her scars and imperfections with eyes that say they're nothing less than all the parts of her that he finds beautiful.
But the truth is, every conversation stuck on her head like a magnet. Jungkook rarely talks, but when he does it feels like one of those statements that should be hanged and framed. He spoke with so much thought, that it annoys her that he got all his bases covered when she questions him.
But the truth is, Yeri is unmasked and stripped of pretenses with him unlike when she acted, unlike when she is outside the space he had given her. That little space that they shared, no matter how small it was, it's here when she felt the most unbound and free.
But Kim Yeri never asked him and she herself was unsure of the feelings that compounded their relationship so she deluded herself.
She deluded herself in the fact that he meant business and so did she.
So did she.
"Yeri."
Yeri snapped her head towards the voice. She smiled sheepishly at Jungkook who gave her a questioning gaze before he removed his finished sketch from an easel.
"I called you thrice. Three times Yeri."
"Sorry."
"A penny for your thoughts then?"
Yeri have him a smile, the ones that never reached the light in her eyes. "Nah. You'll need more than a couple of dimes for this." She said as she tapped her temple with her finger.
"The play?" Jungkook assumed the girl has been spacing out because of the play she'll be performing in.
"Probably?"
"Need a break from modelling? You know I've always been lenient. Your play is the more pressing issue now. So, text me when you're free?"
Yeri considered her options, the boy said it himself. He's always been understanding for which she has always been thankful for. And Yeri just gained the biggest excuse she could muster, albeit it did nothing to confirm her feelings, nor did it help her to deaden the guilty feelings arising from Jungkook's proposition.
Yeri nodded. "I will."
But she never did.
▪▪▪○▪▪▪
Jungkook sat on the 4 o'clock seat facing the stage on the front row. He brought with him a bouquet of flowers for the actress' last show.
It was a childish move for Yeri to avoid Jungkook. One, the highly publicized play made it easy for Jungkook to score himself a ticket. Two, Jungkook's personality never allowed for loose ends in a relationship and he intended to make it clear to Yeri. Perhaps, it was because she decided to end it so suddenly without an explanation that irked Jungkook.
Did I exaggerate or imagine the closeness I felt with her?
That thought nettled with the boy's mind, perhaps he was not too direct with her?
But what of I scare her off? She can tell me I'm just infatuated because I've seen her naked.
The play started on the dot. The stage was almost bare with just a wall and huge painting hanging on it. Aside from that the lights did it's magic and set the mood throighout.
Yeri plays a tipsy female who started flirting with a man she had met at a dinner before inside an art gallery.
The play went on for quite a bit, Jungkook focusing on the way yeri delivered her lines, the way her expressions changed from Normal Yeri to Sultry Yeri. He wonders how her co-actor is able to cope with that Yeri, even if it's an act. Jungkook had to clear his throat a few times, that's until a few people gave him dirty looks and he was forced to look down on his shoes and then continued to focus on the play.
▪▪▪○▪▪▪
Sometimes Yeri wonders why she chose to act.
Perhaps it was a sublimation of feelings that she cannot openly express, and that using a character's emotions unleashes what she feels herself. So when she openly flirted with that man, she thought of doing the same with Jungkook.
Hell. She's been doing it for weeks now, thinking of him. The heavy feeling at her chest and the pricking sensations that tugged at her eyes everytime she thinks that they'll never be more than what it is now, is a great reminder of how idiotic she can be. Sure, she's a top notch student-actress-model but when it comes to matters of the heart Yeri sucked. Big time.
And so, when the whole cast finally bowed, she scanned the crowd, and when she saw the person she's been dying to see she ran.
As fast as her legs can take her.
She ran outside the corridors and the stairs, only to stop when her foot ached and she sat on the staircase clutching her ankle.
All I do is run. Run away as if that'll solve anything. Really mature Yeri.
"How can turtles run so fast- Yah! Kim Yerim!" He huffed out, scrunching his whole face.
Yeri was about to run away again, she had stood up from the stairs already when she heard the voice, if not for the hand that gripped at the back of her dress she would already be a flight of stairs down.
"Can you please call down. Jeez."
"I'm not a turtle."
"That's besides the point now. Question is why are you running?" Jungkook asked as he set behind her on the stairs a few steps higher than her. He let go of her dress when she sat down on the stairs again.
"Who wouldn't run from you?"
"I'm serious, Yeri." Jungkook sighed, "You're avoiding me."
"Great job Sherlock." Yeri slow clapped.
Jungkook stood up and marched in front of her, "Yeri."
"We've established that, okay. I stated the obvious. Now the not so obvious is to ask why?"
She finally lifted her head and looked up at the towering man before her. "Because... I don't know. What are we?"
Jungkook squated to level his eyes with her face.
"What do you want us to be? Lovers? Friends? Acquaintances? Artist and his Muse?" He said as he fixed a strand of hair from her face.
"This. Whatever I just ruined."
"So an artist and his muse?" She nodded. He gave her a playful smile, "Shame. I wanted to be lovers."
"Jungkook. Don't play."
"I'm not playing Yeri."
"How do I know?"
"Why can't you believe me? You thought I was after your body?"
Nodding.
"Your talent?"
Quite Nodding.
"Your beauty?"
Ferocious nodding.
"But you're really beautiful Yeri."
"I cannot lie. I was attracted because you're pretty, I'm not denying that. Heck whoever tells you that you're not attractive is a freaking liar okay? That person is bullshiting you!" Jungkook started rather in a low voice and ending almost half screaming.
Yeri chuckled at that.
He's overworking himself.
"Love doesn't start deep Yeri. Love can start from the smallest things. From the superficial things. But it chose not to stay there."
He cupped her cheeks in his big and veiny hand, squishing it purposely so her lips puckered out.
"And I choose to love you."
Yeri nodded. Her eyes pricking and her trying to stop herself from crying makes her head hurt. She blinked a few times causing one fat tear to escape.
"So..uhhm. Can I kiss you now so we can make up?"
《------------》
Next one is a New Arc entitled Cliché:
Just wanted to know which pair would you be interested to read first:
JoyJin (Serene)
Wenhope (Lumirius)
- Divs 🍀