When I met Dr. Jung for the second time, there was no metal bar almost hitting me. Instead, he was seated at the desk, concentrated on the device in front of him that I instantly recognized as the device that started this mess.
"Hello." His voice called for my attention from the device to his eyes.
"Hello." I smile, slowly walking towards him. "I'm Maisie Kang and you must be Dr. Jung."
He removes his slender fingers from the device, sliding off the latex gloves as he stands to his feet. "Yes. Nice to meet you."
Still so sweet and warm.
I smile, staying silent as I rock back and fourth on my heels. After begging the chief to let me take my intern exam today rather than tomorrow, I was determined to find Hobi. But as I stand in front of him, I'm lost for words. What was I supposed to tell him?
Hey, I'm from the future. I traveled back in time with the device on the table in front of you and I need you to fix it!
Yeah, no.
"Oh, uh- I need more research lab hours and the chief planned on putting me on your service soon. I-I just wanted to introduce myself and take a look at what you're working on— if that's alright, of course." I smile nervously after realizing I had been rambling.
When his heart shaped lips part into his radiant smile, I feel relived. He softly laughs, nodding his head. "You're cute." I smile, feeling nostalgic as the words easily slip from his mouth like he had done before. He waves his hand, calling me over.
"This," his delicate hands hold the device in his hands. "is the future."
And the words are exactly the same from before. It was like everything, yet nothing had changed.
I must have come off as eager or a know it all when I finished his speech about the future of medicine due to his device. He seemed so pleased and appreciated, and I did appreciate his work, but, this time, my interest steamed from the problem his device created.
Nonetheless, I was just as eager as him to get this device up and running. I even decided to speak to the chief then and there about allowing me to catch up on my research hours by spending the next few weeks with Hobi rather than my previous rotation that consisted of me spending only Monday's and Wednesday with Hobi. The day was filled random bursts of excitement as we achieved new levels of ideas while our minds worked together. By the time night had come, my stomach was growling annoyingly, begging for food.
Luckily, Hobi called it a day and we walked out of the hospital building to continue sharing our ideas. It mainly consisted of me throwing out ideas that we had done before as bait for him to catch and feed on for us to proceed in that direction. He must have thought I was a genius, but really, I had gone through the whole process already with his leadership and guidance.
"Good night, Dr. Jung." I smile, waving goodbye.
"It's Hobi." He winks before he walks in the opposite direction.
I smile down at my feet, walking away. A high pitched whistle is carried through the wind, meeting my ears and pleading for attention. My ear perched up and my head raised at the sound. My eyes locked with black, twinkling eyes that instantly put a smile to my face— I didn't understand why, but it did.
Jungkook leaned over his bike, his helmet hanging from the handle bars. He straightened his posture when I strutted towards him, a cocky smile painting his lips.
"Hi." I say just above a whisper.
"Hurry, baby-"
"Nuh-uh." I shake my head, crossing my arms over my chest and his smile flattens across his lips.
"Come on. You've been on before—"
"Not that, idiot." I roll my eyes. "I am your noona."
A part of me grew excited when Jungkook huffs out a sigh of defeat, poking his tongue to his cheek. I kinda wanted to hear him call me noona.
"Come on," Jungkook leans in, shaking his head around so his curly locks bounce. "Noona." His sultry voice was rich and full, sending a single through my veins like a shot of courage.
"Alright, baby boy." I winked, and made myself comfortable behind him on his bike after strapping the helmet on and securing my arms around his torso.
The rumble of his deep chuckle had a stronger effect on me compared to the rumble of his bike when it took off. Still, I hadn't been used to the fact that I was riding with Jungkook on his motorcycle. Each sharp turn or pass through tiny spaces between cars had me squealing as I tightened my grip around Jungkook to which laughed and provoked me with faster speeds. However, the level of security that filled me with warm was unimaginable based off of how little I knew of him. The warning signs Taehyung had put up dissipates as quickly as snow melts under the warm sun, because, quite frankly, I didn't think there was anything to be cautious about.
When he parked his bike, the deep rumble had not been from his chuckles or the engine of his bike, but it came from the muffled music from the luminous building before us. The multiple storied building adorned fluorescent lights along the edges in a hue of magenta, and a lemon yellow decorated the palm trees along the ledge of the roof, as well as the large sign along the center of the building.
Cypher.
Although the daunting building had me standing closely beside Jungkook, the people lined up along the side of the building scared me the most. Heads tilting high with flaunted posture, women adorned blinding jewelry that clung loosely over their tight-fitted dressed. Their freshly polished nails softly brushed over their foreheads as they brushed away their curled or straightened hair while laughing blissfully among their group of friends. The men were also intimidating in their ironed cloths and polished shoes; and watches on their wrists, either lathered in diamonds or held to their wrist with polished leather. They were turned towards the women in a prideful posture as they tried to impress the beautiful people.
When I looked down at my casual attire, I subconsciously hid behind Jungkook's larger frame as my cheeks blushed with embarrassment. I wasn't nearly as nicely dressed as any of the people in line. I probably looked like a bouncer in my black jeans, black cami and black Doc Martens. But even then, the rips at the knees of my jeans, the deep v-neck line of my cami, and the large beige teddy coat set me apart as an outsider that definitely did not belong.
"Come on." Jungkook's hand then clasped around mine as he began pulling me toward the entrance, but I tugged on his hand. "What's the problem now?"
Irritation coated his voice, and while I was a bit taken back by the sudden absence of the sweetness in his tone, I was more concerned with not wanting to humiliate myself.
"Jungkook, what the hell?" I furrow my brows, matching the same irritated tone he used on me. "I can't go in like this."
His eyes traveled up and down my body, checking me with furrowed brows. "You look perfect. Come on."
I stopped him before he even took a step. "No, I don't. We probably won't even be allowed in. I don't belong here."
"You don't belong here or you don't want to be here?" His tone was a combination of frustration and sass as he lifted his brows, temping me to answer what he already thought he knew.
While I assumed he thought I didn't want to be here, he was right. Clubs weren't my setting, and if I needed a drink, a mellow bar would suffice, but not this.
The hesitation in my response was enough to tick Jungkook off because he ran a frustrated hand over his hair before both his hands settled on my waist.
"Stop being a killjoy and fucking live your life. Don't let people tell you where you do and don't belong. You look fucking perfect and I brought you here thinking you'd want to have a good time after your exam this morning. You've had a rough couple of days, and I thought this would cheer you up." He paused, maintaining intense eye contact with me before continuing. "If you wanna go home and be robbed of your youth then fine, but find your own ride home."
By the end of his rant, my eyes were rounded and my gaze was casted up at his own. My teeth nibbled on my bottom lip as embarrassment painted my cheeks with pink. In the pit of mixed emotions in my stomach, I felt the most guilty. The guilt of ruining a good time with Jungkook overrides the slight anger towards his tone and his threat to leave me alone while he was the one who drove me to the opposite side of the city without advising me.
A part of me wanted to fight back with a 'fine, i'll catch my own ride' and storm off, but the other part of me wanted to hold his hand and walk in for a change.
"Look," he sighed, taking a step back. "I gotta go in. You coming or not?"
I took in a deep breath, approaching him and sliding my hand in his slightly curled one. His hand naturally tightened around mine, and he pulled me along with the same irritated look on his features.
I should have walked away. The last thing I wanted was to spend the night with Jungkook angry at me.
And just as I was about to escape from his grip, we emerged from the darkness into the neon hue of magenta that illuminates the sidewalk surrounding the club.
Suddenly, the distracted crowds of people waiting to enter the club shift their focus to us. I notice as some fix their postures, fix their hair or accessories; how their eyes twinkle or become hooded with questionable intensity.
But it wasn't until we got closer that I realized their gaze wasn't on us, but rather, on Jungkook. Soft gasps of his name filled with awe danced in the air before the silence was broken by even louder calls for his attention.
Nevertheless, Jungkook remained stone faced with less irritation than before, though, still there.
"Yo." Jungkook gave the bouncer a nod before pressing his tongue to his cheek. He walked slowly and let go of my hand, waiting for me to pass him so he could rest both his hands on my waist and guide me inside from behind. "She's with me."
The bouncer nodded, unhooking the velvet rope and letting us through. Suddenly, Jungkook's body heat wasn't the only thing keeping me warm from the fall air. The shaded building, though hard to see under the haze and the blinding lights that fell in sync with the music, smelled of sweat and drugs. As we walked further into the room, I noticed the group of people at the center of the room, jumping to the music like popcorn kernels springing into the air in a hot microwave.
The ceiling stretched up three stories, leaving a gaping whole above the dance floor and balconies that surrounded each floor protected by glass rails.
However, we didn't stay on the first floor, nor did we go up to the other floors. Instead, Jungkook guided me through warm bodies to the very back of the building that led to a staircase downstairs. The halls underground were white with clean black accents and wood flooring. Muffled music bounced off the wall, and I was relieved that it wasn't completely silent as we were the only ones walking through the halls.
We passed by closed doors until we made it to the end of the hall to a slightly open door. A cheerful harmony of laugher was heard from the room and Jungkook let me go, standing in front of me and walking in, holding the door open for me before shutting it closed.
The laughter lingered when the pairs of eyes landed on Jungkook's, but their laughter melted into flat silence when they caught sight of me.
Blue and grey contacted lensed eyes, along with a few natural colored eyes, roamed my body with curiosity. I wanted to hide behind Jungkook, but he left my side and sat on an empty couch across the room with a sigh.
I stood awkwardly at the entrance, pushing a strand of my waved hair behind my ear and forcing a small smile on my lips.
"Hi." I managed to say.
"Hey, babe." The guy seated on the couch nearest to me adorned a cocky smirk. The raven locks of his hair naturally fell over his forehead with a part at the center. His blue contact lenses were a nice contract to his caramel skin. I simply smiled, waving my fingers softly.
A smooth giggle erupted from the pink haired boy in the couch beside Jungkook's. His grey colored contacts were hardly visible under his eye smile. "Cute." He said when he settled down.
Cute?
The two girls in the room weren't cute. They were hot. When I locked eyes with one, I noticeably looked away and internally cursed myself for obviously staring at her, but it was hard not to notice her. The red, reflective flower stickers covering her nipples were shining under the room lights through her black, mesh shirt which was tucked into her leather jeans that accentuated her hips.
My eyes landed on Jungkook as the devil of curiosity pinched at me that was dying to know whether he was checking her out or not. But he wasn't. His eyes were on me the entire time. He's probably still mad.
My eyes traveled and landed on the other girl in the room. She sat across from the first and smiled at me sweetly when our eyes locked. Though still hot in her attire, it wasn't as revealing as the other's. The red tube top that stopped just above her navel was similar to one I had. However, the focus was on her legs that adorned fishnets under her booty shorts. "I'm Lucy." She smiled sweetly, wiggling her fingers like I had done which made the previous girl giggle. Was she mocking me?
"Lee." The girl with exposed boobs-but covered nipples- said.
"Jaehyun." Said he guy with pink hair with a playful wink. "That idiot is Johnny." He pointed towards the first guy who greeted me.
"Maisie." I state, noticing their lips curl into teasing smiles. "But May for short."
Lee scoffed, taking a final sip of her water before deposing the cup into a trash can. "It fits you."
Thanks?
In the midst of my confusion, things only became a tighter knot of a mess when she strutted toward Jungkook, sitting on his lap and wrapping an arm around his shoulder.
My mouth was suddenly dry and I felt hot, and the teddy coat wasn't helping.
"You look uncomfortable." Johnny spoke up, interrupting whatever emotions were stirring inside. "Come, have a seat."
His hand wrapped around my wrist, and he pulled me on to his lap before I had a chance to protest. His large hand cupped my thigh, and my eyes widened at the bold actions from a stranger. I was screaming inside, and very visibly blushing on the outside.
"Let's take this off." The tips of his fingers brushed over my collarbones before they curled around my coat and he pulled it down my arms.
The coat fell to the ground, and I pouted softly. That's Gucci from Taehyung.
A whistle broke the grueling silence and I assumed it was Johnny, but it was Lucy. Her red painted lips parted into a smile. "Girl, your tits are hot."
"Let me see." I recognized the voice as Jaehyun and scoffed. I wasn't gonna turn around and show him, what the fuck.
Though the deep neckline of my cami was a tad revealing, I didn't stand out between Lee and Lucy. They were sexy, and I was 'cute'.
Not that I'm comparing, but I found myself wondering what Jungkook thought. He had been silent the entire time with his hand cupping Lee's thigh and the other resting on the arm rest while she strokes her fingers through the back of his hair.
For some reason, I felt hotter with each passing second I stared at them. I guess I had gotten over the guilt and anger was getting the best of me. First, I was given unnecessary attitude, threatened to be left with no ride, thrown into a pit of lions that wanted to eat me alive that were his friends, and to top it off, he was suddenly so quiet.
A conversation had stirred among them, and I was still seated on Johnny's lap, thinking of a way to escape.
I just wanted to go home. I thought I agreed to go out with the sweet Jungkook with whom I had ice cream with a few days ago, but I guess it wasn't him. On top of that, I took a brain wrecking intern exam today and spent hours with Hobi working on the stupid time machine— which he thinks is the 'future of medicine' when really it is a freaking time machine!
I just want to go home.
Home with Jimin under his fluffy bed sheets in our matching fluffy socks because he's a softy like that, but only in our fluffy socks because he's also very sexy like that (if you know what I mean).
I miss him.
"I think I'm going to head out." I purse my lips, trying to pry Johnny's hands from my waist. He gives in, but he stands with me and holds my wrist.
"No. Stay for the show." He insists.
"Show?" I ask.
"Yeah, we're up next."
I was more confused than ever.
• • •