Jungkook throws me the car keys, which I surprisingly caught with no problem, "Go start up the car first," he tells me as he adjusts the collar of his button-up, "I gotta go switch out my tie."
We were just heading to work when he found a spot on the fabric, and as the Jeon Jungkook, it is no way to show up to work with a stain. So I do as he told, opening the front door without a second thought in mind.
And all of a sudden, like I'd fallen backwards from the top of a building, my breath was stolen and my lungs were trampled into nothingness. Flashes attack at my eyes as I failed to hide the bewilderment from my expression. The people with their cameras and microphones walled up before the mansion, like a cage trapping me in my spot. I've never felt so small, so afraid, so naked in the eyes of so many. So this is what it's like to be famous. I feel like I've been caught doing something dirty, something wrong, like I was being punished for it. And the whole world was brought right to the porch to witness.
I was frozen and unable to function. It was when a strong arm pulled me from the doorway with a big warm hand covering my eyes, did I leave my spot of deadly attention. Jungkook and I leaned against the wall, silent and preoccupied with our own shock.
We were out of sight for merely a second, and that was enough for them to swarm up our porch. Jungkook, the more woken of us two, was quick to slam the door in their faces and lock it shut.
I gulped, "What the hell, Jungkook?" I started breathing again, but now with big and uneven breaths as I tried to keep calm. Opening the door to see a wall of flashing cameras was like going to war without armour or weapons. I don't think I'll ever experience anything that can replicate the fear that took over my body. There was no warning, no sign. It was deadly silent only until I opened the door, like they'd been planning to throw me off guard, to catch me red-handed for something I wasn't aware I'd done.
My fiancé paces around with his phone in his hand, which he eventually threw to the floor. I jump, eyes wide at his gesture. What had he seen on his screen?
"The fucking CEO from yesterday, Aera." I wasn't comprehending.
"He sent our information to the press and completely twisted everything."
I blinked. He might need to dumb it down for me. My mind is practically absent, just by the previous occurrence.
Jungkook got the message by the expression on my face, and explained, "Everybody knows about you now, Aera, about us. And they've made it ugly."
And now they also have photos of me, standing by the door with the most foolish expression on my face as they blinded my eyes.
"Well," I slide to the floor and hugged my knees. I can still hear the ruckus outside, and it's picking at every bit of the sanity left in me. "What do we do?"
Jungkook was flustered, and in the most nervous state, it was a look that I've rarely seen before, "We stay inside. You can't go to work today. They might've already clogged the orphanage. I'll contact some people to get things sorted out. We have to put out a statement, and try to get the upper hand in this situation."
He didn't wait for a reply when he headed to the elevator, I'm guessing to his home office. I didn't try to follow him. I stumbled back up to my feet and settled my bag on the couch.
Taking my phone out with shaky hands, my screen was bombarded with notifications from Axl. There were too many swear words, too many questions, and too many texts in general. I don't want to know what's going on over there right now. And if he's seen whatever's been put up online about us, then I'm not sure I'm ready to face him either.
But Axl's mountain of texts did tell me one thing, and that was that the press had already reached the orphanage. And that I will not tolerate. There are little kids there, it's an orphanage with children that are in of care, delicate care. How dare they disturb the peace that we so carefully create for them? I cannot help but think about Jonathan, about how he's doing. I hope he isn't too startled.
It's minutes later, that I decided to finally take a trip to Jungkook's office. I assumed that he would be in a bad mood. So I was careful as I went in.
He was on the phone with someone, I noticed first. Jungkook was standing up with his tie loosened, blazer off, and his hand on his hip.
"I just punched him is all."
Sitting down on his chair, I watch attentively while he listened for a reply from the other side. Jungkook then replied angrily with his hand gesturing towards the air, "He touched Aera, what was I supposed to do? Kiss his ass and thank him?"
So it's because of me.
"He's fucking childish for this shit. I'm going to write everything on the statement, I'm not leaving any details and I'm not going to play nice. Get Jun on for me."
With the small time gap, Jungkook takes the moment to lower his phone to look at me, like he was trying to make sure I was fine. He was about to say something to me when something on the phone took back his attention. His gaze left me and went back to the empty air.
I've never felt more stupid and helpless.
"Hey Jun, sorry for this mess, but you won't be getting much rest anytime soon, alike the rest of us. I need you to contact my bodyguards, and recruit another one for me." He pauses, "It's for Aera. No, obviously not just one, you dipshit. I meant to get as many as you need, as long as we can always have someone present.Yes, I'm serious. Fucking hell, just do it." Jungkook takes his cracked phone away from his ear, and tosses it on the table.
He was angry, that was as evident as anything gets. I've never heard him use so many profanities in one conversation. Jungkook isn't one to use language like that.
Walking back to the table with his chest rising over each fuming breath, Jungkook stopped himself when he saw that I was already sitting dumbly on the chair that he intended to be on.
He finally takes the time to look at me, "I'm sorry. That was ugly."
"I don't mind." I reply while I stood, giving him back his seat. Jungkook was tender when he took my hand and guided me to his lap. Abiding, I took my seat and let him wrap his arm around my waist.
My hands went around his neck to take off his loosened tie, "You were right about me punching him. That was a bad move, considering he was twice my age. This is all on me."
I shrug, placing the tie on the table. "Well, what did he think would happen when he touched me?"
"Aera, you have to understand that this industry is shady and very much unjust. Women don't normally tell their partners, and their partners don't normally do anything about it either. I wasn't supposed to notice, nor was I supposed to react. But I'm glad I did. Maybe not glad, now that I know the aftermath..but I don't regret it."
It really saddens me that Jungkook has to surround himself with such monsters on the daily for his job. A job that he was thrown into at such a young age at that. And it saddens me more that these people exist even outside of this world. They're everywhere.
Jungkook's hand leaves my waist and reaches to grab his phone with a heavy sigh, "Now I got to apologize to Jun."
I stayed silent and let him.
"Hey, Jun." Jungkook's free hand trialed to my thigh, running his palm up and down my skin absentmindedly, "No, it's okay, you can do that later. I just called to apologize. It wasn't anything towards you. I'm just stressed-" He pauses, probably because his assistant had something to say.
He then continued, "I'm glad you understand. Please don't take it personally. If you feel unsafe, you can get a bodyguard too. I'll pay for it."
Damn. Best boss ever?
"Yeah, see you soon." Jungkook's hand was shaking when he placed the phone down. A deep sigh leaves his throat and I suddenly feel his forehead falling to my back. I couldn't ignore the exhaustion from the way his energy fell immediately after the call had ended. His eyes are probably closed now, but I wouldn't know.
I knew not to say anything. His thoughts are probably loud enough. Jungkook's arms were warm against my skin when I felt them snake around me. He held me so tightly it was hard to breathe. But I let him.
I slowly realized that he was hugging me for comfort. It suddenly felt strange that I couldn't put my arms around him. So I gingerly turned myself around, even if it was uncomfortable. Jungkook was quick to lean his head on my chest, before I could even turn fully to hold him.
His phone buzzed moments after, but there were no signs from him that showed he was going to pick up. Eventually there were more calls, and notifications that went ignored as his arms stayed tight around my waist.
I wanted to smash the phone to dust, maybe throw it down the mansion and let it hit one of the reporters. Each sound that exited it reminded us of what we were facing. I ran my hand through his hair as softly as I could, though I knew it was far from what it takes to make things better.
We spent our morning wrapped tightly in each other's arms, as the rest of the world swarmed around, each biting for a piece of us that we were fighting to protect.
—
A/N:
unedited.
tough life, man.