I'm sorry for updating this late. I was kind of busy the past week. But I hope you'll enjoy this chapter. 😘
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“Elevator? What are you . . . Oh no! Really? That was you?” Chaeyoung asked after remembering the incident.
Jungkook nodded his head as he answered. “Yup! Before we proceed just a quick question, why were you wearing an all-white long dress back then?”
“About that . . . I just got hired at Hephaestus that time. I came to the office to drop by some documents. And I was headed to Jeju for a short vacation.”
“Okay. So . . . Like I said, the incident at the elevator was the first time we met. And believe it or not, I was completely mesmerized with you at that time that I wished to see you again. So when I saw you again at the same elevator a couple of days after, I kind of . . .” He avoided her gaze as he continued. “This is the part where it will start to sound a bit creepy.”
She shrugged, “I can handle it. Go on.” With a grin on her face, she added. “And I’m flattered by the way.”
“So I kind of stalked you for six months.” He blurted.
Her mouth went agape in surprise.
“You did that? How? Did you follow me everywhere?” She asked with her arms crossed over her chest.
“No. Not that kind of stalker.” He flung his arms in denial. “I waited for you by the elevator before and after work as I look at you from afar.”
“That’s sweet but a bit coward of you too.” She commented.
He shamefully answered, “I know . . .”
She hummed in response, not knowing what she was supposed to say.
He gulped before he continued. “Then that time during that rainy afternoon I finally found the courage to approach you. And the rest is history since you already know what happened then.”
“Oh! So . . . that’s it? That’s all you’re going to tell me after dragging me here at the rooftop of your apartment when I could be sound asleep in my room right now?” She asked in disappointment.
“Why? What else do you want me to tell you?” He teased with a wide smile glued on his face.
“Nothing. I just want to go home.” She said while trying to get up.
He held her back down to her seat. “I was just teasing you. Sorry.”
“Well, I’m not in the mood for some teasing.” She answered with her brows meeting in the middle.
“Yeah, that was obvious.” He turned her body to face him completely as they locked their gazes at each other. Then he spoke to her with full sincerity. “At first it felt like it was just a little crush. But after I got to know you more, I started to like you . . . a lot. Then one day I woke up and realized that I was falling in love with you. Well, actually . . . I love you, Chaeyoung.
It’s unfortunate that I only found the courage to say this to you now just when I’ve completely lost the chance to pursue you. But I want to say this to you once and for all. Chaeyoung. I. Love. You. So . . . there. That’s what I wanted to say.” Jungkook said with his cheeks turning red.
Chaeyoung lied down flat on the mat, feeling burdened at Jungkook’s confession. She placed her arm over her head as she tried to clear her mind and ease the wild beating of her heart.
Instead of responding to Jungkook’s confession, she asked instead, “So . . . Where’s the part where you’ve been upset with me?”
He lied down sideways next to her, facing her direction with his elbows supporting his head.
“When I kissed you and you kissed me back. Then the next morning I saw you exchanging I-love-you’s with your ex-boyfriend.”
Chaeyoung widened her eyes while covering her mouth with her hand. If she was surprised to hear Jungkook’s confession earlier, she was undoubtedly way beyond surprised right now.
She turned to face him asking, “You were there?”
“I wanted to visit you and bring over the hangover soup that I especially cooked for you. But that particular scene greeted me. I guess I witnessed the ending yet the most significant part of your conversation . . . that you two still love each other.” He said, looking away from her.
“Well of course, we do. We’re friends after all.” She proudly answered.
Confused at hearing Chaeyoung’s answer, Jungkook asked while looking directly at her.
“Friends? Just . . . what exactly do you mean by that?”
“It means that Taehyung and I are good friends?”
“You’re good friends? As in you’re in a platonic relationship . . . friends?”
Chaeyoung’s impatience was starting to get the best of her at Jungkook’s roundabout questioning. So she just nodded her head in response.
Jungkook looked at her, staring into her eyes deeply. “Chaeyoung this is not a good time to be joking around.”
“I’m not.” She calmly answered.
“But you both love each other.”
“Because we do . . . as friends.”
“I thought you and Taehyung got back together. That is why I’ve been avoiding you and ignoring your chats and texts. After witnessing what I saw, I lost all hope and wanted to move on from you right away.” He said, not minding the words that were coming out of his mouth.
“So you really were avoiding and ignoring me, huh?”
“I’m sorry. But to be honest . . . it was really difficult for me. I’m barely able to pull it off. Being with you alone right now is a proof of that.”
“Then why did you bring me here by the way?”
“Because I can’t hold it any longer. If I don’t let out everything in here . . .” He tapped his chest a bit strongly. “I will most likely go insane.” He cried in his anguish voice.
She chuckled, “You’re being ridiculous. I don’t think you’d go insane.”
“Chaeyoung, I’m quite serious here.” He heaved a deep sigh and lied flat on his back, looking up at the sky. His eyes were brimming with tears, trying hard to keep it from flowing. “Yet here you are laughing at my feelings for you.”
Chaeyoung choked on her own saliva. Then she cleared her throat before saying, “Jungkook. I’m not making fun of you. Now, look at me.” He shyly obliged right away. She cupped his face and rubbed her thumb against his cheek. “I’m sorry, okay? But aren’t you going to ask me about Taehyung? You already know we’re just friends now.”
“Is that true?”
“Of course, why would I be lying to you?”
“But what happened? When I saw you last time, you looked affectionate as you said you loved each other.”
“Like you said, you only heard the tail end of our conversation. You don’t know the whole truth to it Jungkook.”
“So what is the whole truth?”
Chaeyoung sat up straight and crossed her arms over her chest. “Nope! I’m not telling you.”
“What?” He got up and sat in front of her. “Why?”
“Well . . . Because you avoided and ignored me.”
“I already said I’m sorry. Didn’t I?”
“But you still need to make it up to me.” She said as she looked at him directly with her brows furrowed and a pout in her lips.
“Okay, that’s fair. How?”
“Isn’t that something that you need find out for yourself?”
“You’re right.” He said as he ruffled her hair playfully.
… … … … …
Jungkook was feeling nervous as he rang the doorbell. He trembled slightly while carrying the basket of fruits on his hand. As he heard light footsteps from the other side of the gate, he felt his heartbeat sped up a notch. When the gate opened, he was greeted by a petite young lady.
“Yes? How can I help you?” Alice asked.
He introduced himself with an outstretched hand, “I, uh, I’m Jeon Jungkook.”
Alice hesitantly accepted his handshake, “Jungkook? You are the ‘Jeon Jungkook’?”
“Yeah. You must be Alice.”
“Wow! Good to see you in person, finally. Come in.”
They went inside the house.
“I heard a lot of stories about you.” Alice said.
“Were they good?”
“Well, most of them are.”
“Okay. I can work on that.”
“By the way, Chaeyoung-unnie is not yet home. Did you not contact her beforehand?”
“It’s okay. I did not come here to see her anyway. I mean, I really came to see your parents. Are they around?”
“My parents? Why?”
“If it’s alright, I’d like to talk to them.”
“Just wait for them here.” She said as she led Jungkook to the living room. “They’re just in the kitchen.”
In no time, Chaeyoung’s parents went out to meet Jungkook. He stood up and greeted them. He introduced himself to them as Chaeyoung’s friend.
“It’s nice to meet you, Jungkook. Sit down.” Chaeyoung’s mother said, gesturing the three of them to sit down.
When they’ve taken their seats. Chaeyoung’s father did not waste time grilling Jungkook with his questions, asking Jungkook’s occupation and family background. Jungkook answered all the questions truthfully while trying not to stutter.
“Now, will you tell us what your intentions with Chaeyoung are?” Chaeyoung’s father asked, staring intently at Jungkook.
“If you’ll allow, I’d like to court Chaeyoung.” Jungkook answered straightforwardly.
Jungkook’s father cleared his throat. “I like your courage, young man. Unfortunately, I don’t have a say about that. That’s all up to Chaeyoung. However, I have all the say on this. Make sure you don’t break my daughter’s heart. Because I surely will nurse a grudge for her.”
“Of course, sir. I will do my best.”
Chaeyoung’s mother insisted for Jungkook to join them for dinner. The conversation became lighter as Chaeyoung’s father eased a bit around Jungkook. Chaeyoung’s mother peeled and sliced the pineapple that Jungkook brought for them. Then they shared it among themselves after dinner.
Jungkook and Chaeyoung’s family were staying in the living room, having a good time when Chaeyoung and Taehyung suddenly barged in on them. The two newcomers had their arms linked together when they walked in. They both froze on spot looking at Jungkook who was sitting beside Alice on the couch. Jungkook’s eyes widened in shock at the sight of Chaeyoung and Taehyung together.
A few seconds of deafening silence enveloped all of them before Chaeyoung decided to break the ice.
“Jungkook, I didn’t know you were here.” She said while she quickly pulled her arms off from Taehyung and furtively took a step away from him.
“Well, yeah.” He answered indifferently.
“Chaeyoung, where should I put these?” Taehyung interjected, referring to the shopping bags that he was carrying.
“Just give it to Alice.” Chaeyoung answered before facing Alice. “Please put it in my room.”
Then Chaeyoung’s parents excused themselves while Alice didn't come back down after bringing the shopping bags to Chaeyoung’s room. Taehyung also bid goodbye, leaving Chaeyoung and Jungkook by themselves in the living room.
“Well, you two looked like the good friends that you are.” Jungkook commented furiously.
Chaeyoung smirked, “Are you jealous?”
“Obviously.” He exclaimed.
She chuckled, “Do you know that you are most handsome when jealousy is written all over your face?”
“Don’t patronize me!” He answered while keeping himself from smiling.
“What are you doing here by the way?” She asked as she took a seat beside Jungkook.
“I came to talk to your parents.”
“You talked to my parents? About what?” She asked in surprise.
“I told them I’m courting you.”
“Say what?” She asked with her eyes widening in a circle, similar to her mouth.
He nonchalantly answered, “Well, it’s true.”
“You are?”
Jungkook responded with a blank stare directed at Chaeyoung. “Chaeyoung, I’m serious about you. Why do you seem so uninterested?”
“I am?”
Jungkook sighed exasperatedly. “I need to go.”
“You’re going home already? But I just got home.” She whined.
“I didn’t come to see you, remember? Besides, it looked like you’re more comfortable having Taehyung around.”
“Hey! It’s not like that. I didn’t go shopping with Taehyung, okay?” She frantically explained herself. “I went shopping with Lisa. Then Taehyung came to join us for dinner. But Bambam went to pick up Lisa afterwards. So Taehyung sent me home.”
“Still, you must be tired. Good night.” He said as he walked out of the house not waiting to hear Chaeyoung’s response.
Why does he have to be so grumpy?
Why did I have to act that way? We’re not even in a relationship . . . yet. Argh!
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To make it up to you, I published this new story. Feel free to read it and I hope you'll support it as much as you did on this one. 😍😘
https://my.w.tt/uT1Xke0vh2
💙