Jieun's head was spinning.
Not in the actually dizzy way, but she was dizzy from everything that had just happened. Someone had just confessed to her, Jungkook had stepped in and turned him down on her behalf, in the process he had also publicly announced that he was her boyfriend, aka they were dating.
But they weren't.
Not yet, at least. She hadn't said yes. And come to think of it, he hadn't even asked. Or wait-
Was this his way of asking?
"Yeah, what was that?" Jimin piped in.
"What on earth was that?" Yoojung added.
Taehyung watched on, biting his lower lip, not uttering a single word.
"Why did you just do that?" Jieun looked at Jungkook for his answer, not knowing what she actually wanted to hear from him.
Did she want him to say that he wanted her to be his girlfriend? But she didn't have an answer to that question - her five hour long reflection session in bed last night was inconclusive. She didn't even know what she wanted to hear coming from his mouth, but she was oddly scared.
"Just because." Jungkook shrugged.
"Because?" Jieun frowned. "Because what?"
Jungkook stared at Jieun for a few seconds, hesitating to say something. But then he blinked s couple of times and looked away nonchalantly. "Nothing. Just to help you out."
"Oh."
Jieun didn't know why, but she felt her heart sink. So it was just to help her out afterall. It wasn't what she had expected... or hoped for. But what was she hoping for?
Jieun shrugged it off. "Well, thanks then."
Jungkook bit his lower lip. "No biggie."
Jungkook sure was confusing.
Jieun had started truly considering that Jungkook had feelings for her a while ago, when he had said that he wanted to show his feelings more clearly, while looking into Jieun's eyes with those big round eyes of his.
But after that, Jieun felt like nothing much happened. He had said that he would confess to a girl if he had feelings for her, but he didn't. Jieun thought that she must have gotten the wrong idea - all that must have been said totally platonically, it was just his way of sharing his thoughts about life with one of his best friends.
But last night, there again he was, saying that he was going to wear the couple bracelet everyday - only because he had won it with her. With her. Now that, she couldn't have misunderstood, could she? Especially after that comforting pat on her head before he had left... it had kept her up all night thinking about how to answer him.
Then this morning, she had come to school as per usual... and she had the odd feeling that Jungkook was waiting for her to arrive. She had seen his face light up as she entered the classroom. Well, she of course, was happy to see him as well, despite how conflicted she was feeling.
But halfway through class, she eyed his wrist, and the bracelet was nowhere to be found. All he said about wearing it everyday must be just empty words, then. Maybe he had just said it for the fun of it, to poke fun at her. Maybe he never liked her, he was just joking. Maybe Jieun got the wrong idea again, like she always did. She was always one to get her hopes up, before she let her heart get crushed over and over again.
But the story didn't end there. It happened again - the way Jungkook pulled Jieun close to him and claimed he was her boyfriend when her secret admirer approached. All that got her hopes up again, making her think he cared about her... at least a little bit.
But all that got destroyed a few moments later, with a single word of his - to help her out. Helping wasn't feelings, helping wasn't love. Helping was just platonic, just a friendly gesture to someone - not even necessarily a friend. Like how you could help an old lady cross the road, like how you could help someone up from the ground. You didn't need to love a person to help her.
Jieun watched on, slightly disappointed, as Jungkook walked off after taking one last glance at the banana milk in Jieun's hands.
Jieun frowned. Did he know, by the slightest bit, how much of an emotional roller coaster he was causing her? Did he even know?
But let me tell you - he didn't. Jungkook walked away with a small frown on his face, his eyebrows furrowed - deep in thought, with only one thought in his mind.
So... she likes banana milk.