"mom, what are you doing?" Jungkook asked as he tours into the living room where his mother held out a photo book and was looking at it.
she didn't give out an answer yet was obviously showing him what she was doing, looking at photos.
just then, she remembered what she saw yesterday when rushing out of the shop from talking with Hyejoo. she saw Jungkook holding the wrist of a girl.
"why did you come home late last night? did you go to a friend's house?" she asked Jungkook as he pretends to overhear it.
she flipped through the page and then stops to ask some more questions.
"you have a girlfriend don't you?" she said teasing him out of the random blue.
"n-no." he hesitated as Jennie pops up in his head.
"lies, I saw---"
the doorbell ringed twice. it was still early in the morning as they both looked onto one another to see if they have invited any guests.
"I didn't invite anyone" she quickly defend herself as Jungkook stand up to go see who it was.
he skipped down the stairs and into the front yard where the front door was. unlocking the door before looking at who was there, he open it without hesitating.
"wh-what are you doing here?" he widen his eyes as he saw Jennie standing there, gluing her thankful eyes right back at him.
"I came to give you back your umbrella..thank you for yester--"
"come here," he said as he step out of the door, closing it carefully behind him and grabbing onto her upper arm which he did it so harshly that it made her flinch.
the umbrella drops as he pulled her out from the entrances and into the streets. he notice the weakness in her body but didn't bother to ask.
"how did you know--" he asked rather quietly as he didn't want his mother to come out and see her.
"I got it from .. umm... your friends"
"who?"
Jennie looked away as she was just lying the whole time, she actually has stalked him home ever since they were in middle school and was somewhat skeptical about him still living here. she was surprised that he was still living here.
he stares at her, who was hesitating. without a minute, the door opens and from inside stood his mother who was curious about what was taking him so long to see who the guest was.
"who came--?" she asked.
both Jungkook and Jennie quickly turned towards the door from their standing position. his gazes at Jennie as she thought looked familiar from the girl yesterday that was with him and immediately ask.
"oh hello, are you... perhaps the one from yesterday with Jungkook?"
'yesterday?' Jennie thought as she smile and bow, remembering that she encounters Jungkook yesterday. however, Jennie thought her voice sounded familiar to her, she feel like she have heard it somewhere already.
"hello, I'm Jennie..--" she turned at Jungkook, who strictly shook his head no for finishing her introduction but she smiled through her white lips as yes.
"i'm Jungkook's friend" Jennie finished as she bow once more before standing up from the lightheaded she have from yesterday. Jungkook was now freaking out that his mother might now tease him forever.
"oh my... you look sick, come inside" his mother furrow her eyebrows as she reached both of her hands out to Jennie who was now struggling with her knee.
just when Jennie thought she could take a step forward, her eyes went black as she drop on the side down onto the ground, landed where the umbrella fell earlier.
Jungkook and his mother went into shock as it was so sudden. he quickly went down to help her up but she was already unconscious. he quickly ran the back of his hand on her cheeks and forehead and notice that she was burning hot.
"take her inside the house," she said, expecting him to carry her as she opens the door wider for them both to fit.
he carried her in bridal style and up into their house. placing her onto the soft white sofa, he took off her shoes and quickly place a couch pillow under her head.
"I'll go cook something warm for her, maybe she hasn't eaten" his mother offered as Jungkook nodded at her.
he ran upstairs and grabbed his blanket so that he can cover her up with it. after he was done tucking her in, he rushed to the bathroom wet a hand towel with warm water and skip out coming back to her. he folded the towel into a rectangle shape and place it on her burning forehead.
"are you okay?" he said as he look for any signs of answer from her but instead fell into an admiration of her beautiful facial structure. her small nose to her eye-line to her pumped white lips.
he suddenly felt bad for himself because he thought he took good care of her yesterday on the bus sending her home. but now that he sees her, he regrets not doing more for her.
"Jungkook ah, I'm going out to buy some ingredients, there isn't enough for the soup so take care of her and call me if anything happens" his mother informed him as she grab her jacket and purse before heading out.
"okay, hurry back and be careful!" he replied as he followed her to close the door.
------
Jungkook sat on the floor where she was sleeping and glared at her every here and there to see if she will wake up or not.
"I'm thirsty.." she mumbled lowly to which Jungkook heard it as he got up to go grab a cup of water for her.
when he came back to the living room, Jennie was already looking up and scanning the unfamiliar room of a house.
"don't worry, it's my house" he assured her since he knew she was going to ask where the place was. she looked on the side and felt less worried as it was Jungkook who was saying that.
"here.." he said as he went onto her side slide his hand behind her back and lift her up to drink some water. she couldn't help but stare at him from the corner of her eyes.
she was uncomfortable with him taking care and touching her, so she didn't blink at all, not even when she was drinking the water from the cup that he was controlling the water to reach her mouth.
"thank you.." she said as she lick the leftover water drops on her lips. he didn't say anything but helped guided her back to her resting position.
he stood up and begin making his way to the kitchen with a small smile but then turned back when her stomach growls in hunger. she cover her stomach with both of her hands and embarrassingly smiled at him before he look away.
he became worried since his mother wasn't back from the store, and there wasn't anything for her to eat that he knows how to make. he rushes back and forth within the small kitchen trying to look for food to feed her.
minutes went past as she realize he wasn't going to give her food. wanting to sit, she helps herself up. as she sat there, she keep reaching her head to glance at the kitchen just to see if he was going to give her something to eat.
she sighed 'maybe not' and held her hands together on her lap. it wasn't long until her eyes wander what was in front of her. a photo album was sitting in front of her and she grew curious, wanting to see it, especially Jungkook's baby picture.
when she got a reach of it, she turn the page, looked at it one by one, and smile as she saw how many pictures there were of him and his mother.
"what are you doing?" Jungkook asked as Jennie can smell the toasted bread with jam on it in his hand. he sat the plate onto the living room table and sat down right next to Jennie.
it wasn't awkward at first but as their aroma surrounded one another, both of them have come to realize that they were sitting so close to one another.
Jennie continues to look at the photos as he was already finding this to be very heart racing. his breath became short as she keep looking towards him every once in a while when she spot a baby picture of Jungkook.
and every time she did so, the soft feelings within his heart unwrap their way out to his eyes. he squeeze his hands a couple of times before making their way to hold onto her hand.
as soon as he was holding her hand from turning the page, she glare back only to find his face so close to her. one inch would mean their nose would touch, two-inch would mean their lips would go crashing to one another.
"it's not an accident this time" Jungkook whispered as his sweet breath blew onto her lips. it took a lot of his guts to say this to her but he finally did it. she swallowed her saliva as her heart fluttered in craziness, wanting to flash a wide smile.
before she got the chance to do so, his lips crash onto her. he slowly nibble the top of her lip and then the bottom. their lips fitted perfectly with one another, as they were in sync with titling their head for a better reach of the deep kiss.
a few seconds went by as he got closer and closer to her, almost wanting to wrap his arm around her to come in closer to his chest.
within a glance, they pulled away when the house door flew open, and coming in was Jungkook's mother with some groceries bag. both of them stood up as the photo album on her lap fell down.
"what's wrong.. why is she standing up already? Jungkook did you wake her up?" his mother asked as she slip off her shoes and walked to the kitchen to place her groceries on the table.
"no.. she is ..umm.. hungry" Jungkook said turning to the kitchen, with his back blocking the blushing Jennie.
"oh no, I'll quickly cook.. don't just stand there, come help me!" she said to him as he forgot to act like himself after the kiss.
"ah- okay," he said as he took two steps forward and then look back at her. she was already staring as she was expecting him to do so.
"you can rest while I go help, my mom, out" he suggested with a warm, unseen, smile. she nodded in response and he skipped to the kitchen.
she shook her head to be as normal as possible. bending down to pick up the photo album that has slid off her lap earlier, she notices a familiar picture of Jungkook with a man.
'Why is this picture here?' she thought as she look at it, it reminded her of a picture that her mother also have at home. however, one side of the picture was torn, as if someone was there too.
she thought he looked familiar as she scan the man that was holding onto Jungkook's hand. after considering her thoughts and trying to remember where she have seen this picture before, she has now come to remember who he was.
"my father...?" she mumbled out as her eye froze from blinking in deep confusion.
••• to be continue •••