Tzuyu concentrated hard on the packet before her. A drop of sweat trickled down her slick skin and landed on the sheet of papers, blending into the ink of her black pen. She grimaced. So much for drawing perfect circles . . . . Another drop made its way down. She quickly wiped it away. Tzuyu was focusing so hard on the typed words before her that nothing came into focus. Everything was a haze of blurr.
Frustrated with her blank mind, she lifted her head to look around the examination hall. Her eyes were met with rows and rows of multi-colored heads. Black. Brown. Blonde. Blue. Red. Pink. Purple. Orange. She was sitting at the back of the room, far away from the teacher's view, however, she quickly returned her gaze back to her paper before he gave her the look he gave every single student who just happened to be taking a break, not looking around to cheat. And it wasn't like she was scared or anything. It was just that ol' Gong dude with his shaved head glistening with perspiration. What harm could that one measly, bald duck do? And anyway, with Jungkook on her side, she could sock him in the head right away if he did do something. He'd know better than to report them.
But before she began staring at the question paper again, she took in the situation around her. The same was going on everywhere she turned to look: students pulling at their collars; boys releasing sickening cracks of bones from their knuckles; girls wiping their faces with the back of their hands or, some who came prepared, with hankies. It was a sorry sight. The tension was hanging low in the room like a depressing cloud, about to release a storm of anxiety on the poor souls.
"Seventy-five minutes!" Mr. Gong called. The thunder rolled.
Tzuyu's heart raced around inside her ribs. What? Only an hour and a half? That's it? She was still on the MCQ packet and had yet to start the open response essays. To add off to her increasing tumult, there were two, each asking for at least three examples that she didn't really remember at the top of her head. She reviled.
Looked like she was turning in scribbles this time.
Scribble, scribble. Scratch, went her blue ink pen.
Hastily constraining the gears and cogs of her mind to turn, she circled A and moved on to the last five. For the last three terms, there had only been forty-five multiple choice questions, but since this was for the finals, the school had made an addition of five more, each from the chapters they hadn't covered much ground on. But Tzuyu was one of those smart-minded ones who'd decided to keep their notes--just in case the school decided to be sneaky and mean--instead of discarding them off like scraps, thinking they won't be studying from them.
But alas, they did.
And Tzuyu rested her sympathies with those who raced around the school begging for a lend--Jungkook included--as those last five were worth two points more than the rest. She had to lend her notes to almost every one of her friends, except Yugyeom, who also kept smart about it. But since his bug-crawl handwriting was difficult to decipher, it was her holding the charity office. Later in the week, the questions and phone calls got so worse and constant that she was forced to print copies.
Scribble, scribble.
Tzuyu was glad that she decided to pay extra mind to those sections and did some additional research, because the five questions were mainly based off of opinions, although only one was correct. It didn't make sense to Tzuyu. They should've made those the open responses. But was she complaining? Of course not. Who in their right minds would want to write another ten-lined paragraph on nanotechnology and its uses? She didn't, and that was for sure. She was already low on time as it was.
Scratch! Scribble . . . dot! She swiped in a last circle at the bottom of the page.
Aha! There, all done with the packet. Setting it aside carefully, she grabbed a fresh sheet of college-ruled lined paper from her folder and began working on the questions.
The first one was on Higgs Boson.
Tzuyu felt tranquility sweeping into her body. They'd studied the topic in one of her last Saturday classes, the lecture given being about two hours long, ending at around eight at night. She knew the answer to this one, and on top of that, she knew that she understood the topic well enough to add little details of her own. That'd surely earn her some extra credit. . . . She hoped.
Halfway through her sentence, her pen slipped from her sweaty grip. No one really paid it any mind, but Tzuyu's vision field was wide enough from her crouch to catch Jungkook looking back at her from the front row, having heard her sigh. His hands pulled out a pack of tissues from the pocket of his jeans.
She shook her head at him, her eyes being truthful enough to tell him that he was a hopeless case. He surely couldn't be thinking that he could come all the way from the front of the room to hand her tissues! And in the middle of an important exam, too!
He was crazy like that. No surprise there. But she couldn't help but love him even more.
Passing him a smile, she went back to her paper, wiping her palms on her jeans. She did catch him sending her a disapproving look but she claimed not to see it. She'd bet anything that his own hands were producing waterfalls of sweat right now. That tended to happen all the time when his under-worked fingers exceeded the limit of ten letters per day. Well, it happened to him in a much worse way than it did to most after writing ten sentences.
She said a silent prayer that it didn't slow him down and that he finished the exam in time.
It was just the two of them in the examination hall, along with Rosé, Sehun, and Yeri, including other students Tzuyu wasn't very familiar with. Most were exchange. The rest: Taehyung, Yugyeom, Kunpimook, Chaeyoung, and Dahyun, were either in the second one in the other wing or had already taken it with the first group in the morning. Tzuyu hadn't met with them the whole day. Each one of the students tried to push in as much time as they could for some last-minute reviewing so it was hard to stop by at someone's place for a little chat. It'd been happening this whole week, and the last, too.
In simpler words, it was hectic.
More sweat.
And . . . hot? She ran a hand over her forehead, now wishing that she had Jungkook's tissues.
Yeah, it sure was sultry in here.
Soon enough, Tzuyu realized that most of the sweat their pores were releasing wasn't from the apprehension for failing the year, but from the fact that the room actually didn't have any windows!
No wonder it was also a bit darker than the other hall, where she took her exams last year as a second-year and the year prior to that. This room was just a long rectangular excuse for a prison with white walls mostly hidden by black and white motivational quote posters, grey-tiled floor shrouded in scuff marks from over the years, and just one door in the far end of the room, to the right.
She gave herself a silent applaud under her desk for having noticed that just now. She'd been in here for over two hours now! And to think that she considered herself very observant . . .
Again she wiped her hands on her jeans. The oven-like atmosphere was really testing her patience. And not just hers, everyone's. Even Mr. Gong excused himself from the room to get a sniff of fresh air.
Her fingers raced across the paper a hundred miles per second, her hopes pinned on completing at least that question before another film of sweat settled over her skin.
Scribble, scribble. Scritch, scratch. The scratches of her pen mixed in with more pen tips as more students began to finish up their MCQs. The sound was getting in her head. She sighed and took deep breaths, either to calm herself or to release the tension building up inside her. The heat wasn't helping the case at all. She was careful to not look at the clock. The relentless ticking of the hands just made it worse.
Scribble, scrabble. As soon she finished the first one of the open response essays, soft gusts of air tangled into her hair.
Tzuyu looked up, grateful for whatever--or whoever--it was responsible for that.
It was the girl sitting on the desk next to her, fanning herself with her exam packet. The charms hanging from her bracelets jangled in a lively melody with her every jerk. She didn't seem to notice Tzuyu, but Tzuyu scooted over in her seat a little and went back to work.
The girl whipped the fan for a while, not noticing how Tzuyu was exploiting her as well. Just that little bit of air restored some of Tzuyu's strength. Her fingers flew across the paper faster than before, wanting to head out before she choked on the smell of sweat.
One more question to go . . . !
. . . along with reviewing and looking back through the five-paged packet . . . Ugh!
But hey, she still made fair progress, while she was sure that the girl was losing against the ticking clock on the wall. But who cared? It wasn't Tzuyu's place to tell her to speed up before she ran out of time. Nuh huh. She wasn't looking for trouble.
Okay, one more, Tzuyu-ah! her mind cheered on, siphoning up her stamina. You can do it! She got her determined expression working into her face. Her toes curled up in her shoes. Her hand shook at being moved at a constant speed without rest. Her eyes kept blurring and coming back into focus. More sweat formed, leaving a clammy fondling up in her scalp. But with that determined look on her, her determination never faltered.
Fingers crossed that she didn't disappoint her teachers this time either! She had more expectations sleeping on her back than she would've preferred. Too many hopes of recognition as professional professors and teachers. And she wasn't the one to disappoint very often. She'll pass the highschool with the highest grades she could get! Again, fingers crossed!
<×>×<×>×<×>×<×>×<×>
Three weeks had passed since the exams ended. The dormitory was a mess and full of chaos at every corner one turned to as most third years began emptying their dorms for the last time. The corridors were crammed with students fighting to get to the elevator, while the ones with more sense shook their heads and took the stairs. The soft whips of breezes were cool, so no heat pressurized their contentions any further, and most took their time to enjoy the nice weather. It seemed like a promising day . . .
To some . . .
Meanwhile, the residents of the last dorm on the fifth floor, a couple with minds of their own reasons, were having a disagreement of their own--
"For the last time, Jungkook," Tzuyu screamed, rapping her knuckles on his door, "stop sulking and help me carry my bags downstairs!"
"So have you finally changed your mind?" her boyfriend replied, the tenacity still edging his words like it did when she had said the same thing to him twenty minutes ago.
"What, no!"
"Then you might as well help yourself." His response was stiff.
She blinked once. "Jungkook, I've carried more than half of them by my self. The least you can do is take the last few. Please! My arms hurt!" she complained and cradled one arm in the other as though she just realized how bad the throbbing in her elbows was. Bup-pa-dup! She could almost hear it.
"You arms, Tzuyu? Your arms?" he asked, a roar of a hidden beast complimenting his words. "All you care about is your arms when my heart is shattering into pieces. Do you know how much that hurts?"
"Jungkook . . ." She sighed, seemingly defeated of his nonsense.
Her long stretch of silence gave fuel to his swelling pride. He listened for her to say more. But she didn't. He could only hear her almost-silent breaths.
Maybe she was listening to him for once . . . Maybe he finally won over her! His hands moved about in a mini victory dance as he thought back to his wish that he had in mind for a while now.
But she was Chou Tzuyu, a girl who had graduated with a master's degree in getting her way of what's right. She wasn't about to let it go just like that. She couldn't just let him think that she'd follow his orders just because she was his now--or that was how he liked to state it--a damn piece of property. It'd be a miracle if he even dreamt about it, not that he actually would.
Her body felt like a deflating balloon, filled with patience instead of air. "I hear you, Kook. Stop cheering."
"No."
Her body flamed up. "I swear I'll strangle you the minute I see you!" she threatened. She raised her hands and clenched at an invisible air-throat with her fingers. Her nails dug dangerously into the thick skin that she didn't need to feel. Her mouth gave way to a chain of obscene words . . . hopefully not loud enough for him to hear. She really wasn't up for dealing with his brooding at the moment.
As if on cue, as he knew, her ears were met with his dramatic call for help, full of mock sorrow."Oh my god!" he shouted, coughing up chuckles in between his speech. "I'm suffocating in here! You witch! I command you to lift off any curse you cast on me this instant!"
Her lips curled into a snarl. Finally losing the last ounce of patience left in her, she let a full-on high pitched scream out, not caring if anyone came rushing at their door. "Then get those lazy buttocks out here and help me take my bags to your car, Jeon Jungkook!" She doubled over, sick of repeating the same sentence over and over again.
But Jungkook being Jungkook, he seemed calm about it, like her outbursts were something he was used to--which he was--and that they were something that didn't scare him out of his wits anymore--which they didn't. "No, thanks, babe," he said cooly.
She shook her head and stared at the door in surprise. She tried the doorknob, cursing at the idea of it hitting her now.
Click! Rattle!
But it was because of her sense of foreboding that it didn't before, for she knew that jerk would lock it.
"Seriously, Jungkook? Are you really gonna do that?" she asked. "Like, for real?"
"Oh, yes, baby!"
Her feet pressed back on the floor, the weight of her ire pushing her body down to the ground. She swung back and forth on the balls of her heel with her hands to her back."Uh-huh," she simpered. "Then don't complain when I never come to see you again. Mmm? And yeah, forget that you ever owned a car. Mmm-hmm?" That, she heard, had him scrambling off the bed. She waited, feet planted firmly on the ground, for him to open the door and reveal that face of his.
That face of his . . . !
That face . . . She couldn't really find any words to describe it any more.
To her, it was the definition of perfection--those smoothly curved cheekbones, that sharp jawline, that chiseled chin, those pretty eyes, those thick, luscious lips . . . She missed them, even if they'd been gone from her view for only a few hours.
But be that as it may, she would love nothing more than to twist those handsome, breathtakingly beautiful features to distortion until he'd become too embarrassed to even appear before anyone else.
She hadn't seen him since last night--since she told him for the hundredth time that she wasn't about to kick in some last-minute change of plans and leave others to worry about it. It was a vocation that just came up, a walk of life popped into their lives out of surprise.
She wanted to see him really bad, but at the same time, find an opportunity to smack that face with the heaviest bag she could find.
She looked around. Her eyes landed by the door . . .
Or hey, did those two vases weigh enough--?
Humph!
Jungkook never opened the door. Her face of courage and anger dissipated into longing. He only replied to her with his mouth against the door. "Hey! That's stealing!" he hissed.
"It's not if you know. And anyway, you know where to find it." Tzuyu leered.
"Uh, no."
"Uh, yea."
"You never gave me the address. How'm I supposed-ta know? "
"Well, you never asked."
"I'm asking right now then."
"No, you aren't."
"Fine, can you please give me your new address?" he snarled, spitting out the word "new."
"I didn't like that sound of that, Kook. Was that a swear I heard? You swore, didn't you?" Tzuyu asked sharply.
"No."
"Okay . . ." She inhaled a gigantic whiff of oxygen. She was already short on time. She was supposed to meet with her friends in a few. But if she had got him to talk to her, then she wasn't about to let the chance flit away, like a butterfly from a flower to another. She impeded their little tête-à-tête, even if for just a few moments, just to hear him talk. Her body discerned his voice as a soothing broth to her chilly demeanor. "But really, you didn't know?" she asked, though actually wanting to know. "You never asked anybody? I mean, it was big news."
That steamy broth soon froze into a month-old tub of ice-cream, a little stale to taste, a little sweet. "You'd be glad that I didn't," he said.
Her brows flew up. "Reason?"
"You don't wanna know."
"Oh, I very much do, mister."
"Fine," he said. "You're giving me the address then?"
"You're asking?"
"Yes."
"Sure, but do I want to?" she played.
"I don't know," he said. "Do you?"
"I'll send it to you, although I'm reluctant."
"What?"
"I said sure," she repeated, smiling like a fool. "Even if it means seeing that ugly face every single second of the day." She giggled, pressing her forehead on the door, and felt their connection pulsing through the wood. She had a feeling he was in the same position as her. She could feel his heat conducting to her body.
He barred his teeth. With a distance of barely two inches, she actually heard it. His throat rumbled. "I don't know why the heck you'd say that, Tzuyu," Jungkook whinged, "but I don't wanna hear you complain when you wake up in my bed in the morning. In my house."
She pushed back. "Then, no. I change my mind."
"You think I'll not ask around?"
"I'll send threats to your friends if they leak it."
"Like they'd listen," he guffawed.
"Trust me, they would," she said with sincere surety. "I mean, most of them are dating my best friends. And you know, Jimin knows better than to mess with me now."
She got a titter out if him. "You're a bully," he accused. "I hope you're aware of that."
"Well, you were admitting of wanting to commit a crime of kidnapping so I'd keep that mouth shut."
"Are you telling me the address or no?"
"I'm surprised you didn't know."
"I didn't bother to ask 'cuz I thought you'd be a good girl and would listen to daddy."
Tzuyu, with a repulse, apprehended him sending a kiss through the door. "You're pathetic."
"And you're my girlfriend."
She giggled again. "You wouldn't believe me when I say how much I regret that."
He paused.
She then heard him twist the bones his wrists out of anger, a sound similar to stepping over tiny particles of rocks on sidewalks and understood right away that she'd struck a chord. She knew him so well--every inch of him--that she immediately recognized the second series of sounds as the ripples of him cracking his neck.
"You just wait, Tzuyu," he warned. "Just wait till I get my hands on you."
Instead of the dread she should've been convulsed with--as his tone wasn't on the line of joking one bit--her hopes rose to the sky once again. "So does that mean you're coming out?" she asked, hopeful.
His reply was simple. And not what she wanted. "No."
Her mood to talk to him faltered right away. Her spirits sank to the bottom of her body to her feet. She could feel the bothersome tingling at the tip of her toes. She pressed the pads of her toe-skin to the base of her sandals in surfacing anger. But she kept up her play. "Then at least give your car a last good-bye kiss."
"You're not taking it, ma'am."
"Yes, I am, mister," she threw back. "And you can't do anything about it you choose to camp inside that place for the rest of your life."
"I'll still file a report."
"Like you would," she snorted, darting a glance at one of her night lamps still sitting on top of her book bag.
The random threats he threw in to get her to do his will were sort of becoming a daily routine. They, she would admit without hesitation, had her want to smash down her fists on him at first rather than do his bidding. But as the number increased, she learned to let them slide by. She hadn't time for his nonsense when things much more important were waiting to be sorted. Like her bags . . . !
"Oh trust me, I would."
"I dare you." Her voice sounded out fiercely. She made it sound fierce. But really, her heart was falling apart with his continuous refusals to help her. She just wanted to catch a part last glimpse of him before she left.
All of a sudden, she kicked the door, releasing a tidal wave of frustration that was quick to wash over her. She listened intently, cackling like a witch when she heard him gasp in shock, rubbing her big toe at the same while.
"I hate you, Tzu," he growled.
Her cackles only worsened. "Love you, too, ugly. Now come out this instant or else I'm leaving without a good-bye." She stepped back, expecting him to come out. "Coome along now!" she sang.
She waited. He didn't make a sound.
Thinking, she hoped.
He was surely just taking his sweet time, the softer part of her heart chided in. He surely wouldn't let her leave like that, would he?
He had to come out, because if he didn't, she knew she'd never give herself another choice but to leave. She knew that he knew that it was never a thing she got to decide for her self. If something really put her on edge, she'd take the first possible action that came to her mind. And if he didn't come, she'd go away. Just like that. Without a good-bye . . . until he came back for his car.
"Jungkook?" she said, flattening her cheeks against the door to hear him. No sound. Her heart plunged to the depths of her stomach.
Her desperate mind imagined him approaching the door, dressed handsomely in one of his single-colored t-shirts and matching sweatpants. Or shorts, maybe? Or shirtless--? No.
It soon was clear that she was being nothing but delusional.
Looked like the returning of his car it was when they'd meet again.
She turned to walk away but stopped short, wanting to give him a last chance. "Kook?" she squeaked in a whisper.
Nope. He didn't reply.
She waited . . . Her throat closed up. Not an answer came but the gentle purrs of her own breathing, begging her to just give up. He was an obstinate guy despite anyone's persuasions. A bull-headed moron and a dolt!
She decided to wait for just a couple more seconds . . . Just in case . . .
She took her moment. One last chance, Jungkook . . . That's all you have . . .
Nothing.
Sighing, Tzuyu pressed her fingertips on each of her elbows, massaging her stiff joints. He wasn't coming. She'd have to do it all by herself now. Her head was dizzy. She saw spots before her eyes. But after what'd just happened, she wasn't even sure if his anger would let him care if she passed out in the middle of wherever she was.
She glanced at the window, watching students load their luggage in cars and vans. Some hugged each other, saying their good-byes until after vacation. The breeze carried their voices up to the fifth floor windows.
"I'll miss you so much!" she heard a girl yell.
"Got my number, right? No?" shouted another to someone else.
"Hey! Your mom's here!" a boy called over from the gate.
Others hastily waved at their friends and drove off, either in their cars or with their parents, anticipating seeing each other again for trips and hangouts they'd planned together. Each and every one of them seemed in high spirits, relaxed and excited for the few weeks of school-free days to come. She saw many third years, smiling and joking around, not caring even a bit about the place they were leaving for good. None seemed too reluctant to let it fall behind in their lives, a building full of three years of memories. Or for most, anyway. And now, ahead of them laid the fearsome college, a picture of extreme torture and an extra abundance of work and homework.
But Tzuyu ignored the thought, looking forward to finally giving her mind a chance to rest. Highschool third year was one hell of a ride. Thinking back to all those good and bad memories, she realized how much she should cherish this period of her life, no matter how much of the various emotions she'd been put through. This year had shaped her future in just a few months. She'd learned to finally forget and leave her past behind. She'd found her true love, met new people, made new friends, discovered new opportunities. And even the loss of a big chunk of her heart--Mrs. Lee--had helped her see the world with clear eyes, no fog of an innocent childhood obscuring her vision anymore. Ever since her bad luck had landed her bums in this dorm, destined to live with her mortal enemy for a whole school year, she'd been shown to the reality of the world. She was given the chance to dig deeper into her history and make the best out of what she learned. She was almost . . . grateful?
Huh.
Yeah. Grateful.
The weather seemed nice, as Tzuyu looked through the windows of the thick-glassed balcony doors. Over the top of the buildings surrounding the school, the sun shone in a pool of crimson and gold, spilling warm light all over the land. The cotton candy puffs of white clouds drifted across the clear blue sky, being pretend hiding places for the big ball of light to play peek-a-boo.
She sensed Jungkook scuttling back to his bed, still sulking.
A cough rattled her throat.
Wiping droplets of saliva that landed on her arms, she let out a huge puff of air from deep within her lungs and made for the door, where they last of her luggage rested.
The air outside was as pleasant as it had seemed from inside the dorm. She recalled the empty rooms, where she'd spend her year stuck with her pouty boyfriend, stripped naked from all their belongings now. Jungkook was all packed up too, but he refused to budge from his former den unless she changed her mind and came to live with him at his mom's place instead.
The situation wasn't that complicated, just Jungkook being a big complication himself.
But when one was put through it, that's how they'd realize how difficult explaining simple things could sometimes get.
So . . . It started off something like this: Mina had found a new apartment, two weeks ago.
It was a surprise, it turned out. She had it all planned from the beginning of the third term. She even went as far as getting the paperwork done as well without letting the word get to Tzuyu. With their salaries combined, she and Tzuyu were both financially stable to afford the monthly rent.
It was a huge relief from the burden they'd been carrying on their shoulders. A place of their own . . .
A place to call their own once more . . . It was a joyous moment with a few shed of tears.
But what Tzuyu had in wait for her, was even better news. Not as big, but better yet still.
The town's district advisor, having heard of Tzuyu once again transcending her grades, wrote a recommendation letter to one of the head departments of the country. And of course, having had received another email just a few days ago, they were quick to accept it. Tzuyu was called in for an interview, just five days ago, which was barely a week and a half into the end of her days as a high schooler. It was super quick--barely taking four days--too much for her mind to comprehend at once. But it wasn't her place to complain when everything was turning out this fine.
Taking on the challenge, Tzuyu had lifted her head high in pride. She had pressed down a good impression on the interviewer, resulting in her acceptance for the job barely ten minutes into the meeting.
It was all decided.
All set.
The beginning of an even bigger future that, still yet, hid new opportunities for her at every turn. By the start her college year, Tzuyu would begin her proper job as an administrative assistant in the educational department.
It wasn't exactly a future she'd thought for her self, but then, she hadn't really thought of anything at all. All she knew was that her grades had to land her somewhere. And anyway, how could she even think about a life as an adult woman when she didn't even have a place of her own? How could she be selfish enough to think about herself when God knows what would happen to Mina? Sure that she could still live in a dorm for the next few years, but she couldn't possibly be spending her whole life seeking shelter in temporary places--
The news of Tzuyu's success was the hot topic of the week, so hot that it even landed her in the local town paper. Popularity wasn't what she felt comfortable with, like, hello? Back in the day when the fiasco with Lisa and Jungkook took place in the halls, Tzuyu had been tired of trying to prove how she wasn't a hog hungry for attention. She didn't like it, being under the spotlight. Not one bit.
But this time, it was different. Way different, of course. There's really no reason to compare the two events anyway.
It filled her with the feeling of pride that she never before had felt. The spotlight was good. It was just amazing--thrilling that she had accomplished such a thing . . .
. . . Although it wasn't that big of a deal . . .
Tzuyu felt ashamed for even putting such a thought in her mind. But it happened all the time. She couldn't help but think like that! It was a common thing. Recommendation letters? Pfft! Anybody could have a teacher or professor write those! Too bad she couldn't get bonus points on her GPA.
That was one time she'd felt ungrateful.
But the way her ranks in popularity had exploded, Tzuyu knew it was big that praise followed her everywhere. It was a small town, with the news of deaths or robberies or openings of new shops and restaurants being the juiciest bits of gossip for the residents. So having a student of their own town, not an outsider, attain such a feat at such a young age was huge.
Most of the End of the Year party in the gym was dedicated to her, for her performance as a star student, for being a great example for the coming generations. It was more like a celebration in her name rather than an annual event, though decorated same as every year: drowned in banners themed in the school colors, multi-colored balloons and ribbons taped at every inch of the walls, stalls, and the same scenario set up for a handsome disco party, the glittery ball being the highlight of the decorations. The student council had done it all, with Tzuyu being one of them.
The experience was great.
But the best thing about it was . . . Ah . . . having Jungkook be there with her . . . by her side, dancing with his body pressed on her, an expression so serious on his face that no a single other boy dared to ask her to the floor.
At the beginning of the year, he'd disappeared after his stuck-up girl, missing out, yet again, on another year of group photographs. But this time, he was there, his hand around Tzuyu's waist, his other tangled into her fingers, his lips on her cheek. They were in the middle, at the front row, being thrown smack-dab in the center of the scene. And they stood out, not because of being the only couple kissing for the fun of it, but for the tacky pose Jungkook had struck right before the camera clicked. And right before the camera clicked, most tore their eyes from the lense and chose to laugh at him instead.
The result was hilarious, but a memory to keep. It was going on the wall along the rest from previous years, but this, everyone knew, was one of the most memorable ones of their lives. They had officially ended their life as a schooler, and most were off to officially entering the ages of an adult.
But of course, while most turned nineteen, Jungkook's "kid", that same Tzuyu who still bore the title as the baby of the grade, had just reached her eighteenth year. Someone brought it up, finding another topic to double over about. The vibrations of the laughter were spine-tingling.
There was also an after-party, at Chaeyoung's place, but it was more like a congratulatory celebration for the new apartment rather than a celebration for ending yet another year of demonic studying.
The guests, struck hard with tsunamis of sleep, took their leave around mid-morning and the main group was left for a sleepover in the basement. The exhilaration of a new year lingering in the air, no one found the need to sleep. And who could, anyway? The half that went on vacations with families found it necessary to keep everyone awake and spend as much time as they could squeeze in in their tight schedules.
The conversations were kept at a friendly base, away from personal stuff and other talks that could ruin the light scenario of the delightful night they've had. With the air conditioner spewing jets of cold air in the room and the music cranked up, what was left of their time together was drowned in games and movies. A few passed out right where they were.
The group that dared to stay awake soon turned to the huge news Mina and Jimin had broken, having had nothing much else to do now that most of them were snoring under the covers of the extra blankets the Sons generously provided. The talk was taken much more to the depths of seriousness than any of them anticipated for their minds. It was quick because the sand was seeping down fast from the hourglass.
It was decided then, that it was best that the girls moved in immediately, because who knew if bad luck was waiting right around the corner.
The two girls agreed without hesitation. It better to have a plan than to have none, just in case one of them still decides to stay in a dorm.
Jimin, finally acting like a responsible person, not a jerk Tzuyu always found irritating, right away agreed on making arrangements for getting their furniture back from the orphanage. A lot of others piped in with offers for help, so many that they were sure no extra men were needed to transfer their luggage over to the apartment.
Everyone was glad that the two had finally a place to go. A mind-heaving burden finally lifted off from their heads . . .
But like always, Jungkook was being a thorn on the stem.
Tzuyu closed her eyes and recalled their argument last night, smiling to herself. The guy, whom her future was set in stone with, never hesitated to bring that child out of him, that child!--a brat who threw tantrums at every single thing. She sometimes thought back to her decision for letting him be the driver of her life. She was his now, and he was hers. If one got off the driving seat, the car would just stand there, in the middle of their journey to the future, the gas slowly running out, and eventually, the engine dying down. Once he grabbed at a topic to be difficult about, it was impossible for anyone to yank it away.
Hey, doesn't that seem familiar?
Guess they were the same like that . . .
"But, Tzuyu!" he had screeched at her the night before, locking her in with him in her dim-lit bedroom. It was their last night at the dorm, yet he was still attempting to stick a leg between the plan to get his way. "You promised!"
"I know, Jungkook," she said and stared around her empty room, not wanting to look into his eyes. She knew she broke her promise. "I'm sorry."
"But, why? Why don't you wanna live with us? I promise I'm not gonna bother you if that's the problem."
"It's not that, Jungkook," she sighed, reaching forward for his arm. "I've lived with you this small place for months. A huge mansion is even better, but--"
"Then I don't see what the problem is."
"Jungkook, look. I'm . . . I'm not related to you guys . . . just yet," she quickly added. "It would feel wrong for me to live at your guys' place just like that."
"Tzu, mom doesn't care! She loves you like a daughter! And I'm you're boyfriend," he said.
Tzuyu watched as his Adam's apple bobbed up and down. He gulped, not knowing how to get her to listen.
"We . . . we have a future together," he then slowly said.
"It's not that," she said again, lost for any reasoning. He held his point, but she had her own, which--to anyone--would make sense. "Jungkook, I can't. I can't when I have a place of my own now. I . . . I'm sorry. I know I promised, but--"
"But what?"
She eyed him pityingly, hoping for God to lend him some brains. "I didn't think you'd . . . take it . . . seriously."
"But I did."
She lowered her head.
He moved closer.
She played with the hem of her shirt, feeling his breaths fall down on her like a soft blanket. But the effects he was having on her were completely something else. He was . . . irritating. Why couldn't he understand? She wanted to yell at him, tell him how nonsensical and ridiculous he was being. She didn't want to pick up her belongings and arrive at someone's door just like that, planning to live there her entire life when she's known the owner for only a few months.
That was straight-up ridiculous.
But ever since they'd had that last argument about the party, she wanted to keep away from another one. Sure, they up made up soon enough, but still. Even the littlest of their bickering could put their love for each other in turmoil.
"Tzuyu, look up," said Jungkook. His hand grazed up from behind his back to her chin. He had her there, but still, her eyes were anywhere but on his. "Tzuyu," he said again, "I know I'm putting you in an uncomfortable spot. I understand. But . . . please? Even mom wants you to live with us. . . . Just the two us in the big mansion . . . alone? Tzuyu, you light up that place. I'm so used to having you around. It's becoming my weakness."
"Then strengthen yourself up, Jungkook," said Tzuyu.
"No," he smiled and let go of her. "No. It's that one weakness I'm never growing out of. Tzuyu, try to understand. We're still working things up in our relationship, mom and I. But you make it easier for us, for both of us. We can't live talk straight-faced with each other unless you're there to keep away the awkwardness."
"But, Kook, I'm not always going to be there for you. She's your mother. And you're her son. It's not my job to be the bridge between the two of you."
"Tzu, like I said, we're working on it," Jungkook pressed. "I had the option to live in the college dormitory with Namjoon and Jimin hyung, or maybe with one of the other guys, but mom doesn't want that. She wants me to come back."
"She right, Jungkook. You can't always depend on me to keep your relationship with her functioning. Did she say anything about me living at the mansion? Did you talk to her? Does she even know your plans?" She twirled away from him and sat on her former bed, now draped only with a thin white bedspread.
He looked away and stared outside her window at the stone wall of the other building. The chaos of moving out had already begun a week before the school closed for summer. The packing away, and the yelling for missing belongings, and the running hither and thither up and down the staircases was all everyone heard for the past couple days. But luckily, while their living room balcony-window overlooked the courtyard, Tzuyu and Jungkook's bedrooms faced the other dormitory, which was much quieter and peaceful. There was barely any sign of hustling and bustling. While that became the dormitory for students who became second and third years the next school year, the one where the third years lived--meaning where Jungkook and Tzuyu lived in-- became the one for first years and other new students. It was a cycle that rotated almost every year. It was just a thing that most chose to move in a dorm when their last or second to last year arrived, though this year, it was mostly last since there weren't many new arrivals.
"Kook," Tzuyu said, propping herself up on the mattress with the heels of her hands. "Does she knows? Like, at all?" When he didn't reply and only gave her a sheepish smile, she threw herself on her back. "Don't tell that you were "planning a surprise" for her!"
His grin only grew wider.
"Jeon Jungkook!" she screeched. "Is your mind full of dog crap?"
Silence followed along the edges of his widening lips. "Nope," he finally said. "Only you."
Her mouth shaped a big, round 'O'. "You really exceed the range of stupidity, don't you?" she smartly questioned, at this point wondering if he even could understand.
"It sounds nicer when you say it. Your voice is pretty."
"You're changing the subject, Jungkook."
"I truly am."
"And why would you do so?"
"Because I knew you wouldn't stay a minute longer at my place if you found out."
She stared at him, her face full of pity for his useless mind. Even as she looked deep down in his eyes, she couldn't see any glimmer of sense or understanding. She was right about it being rusty up there after all, wasn't she? "Kook, if you had that planned, then I'm sorry, you need a strong prescription to see all the holes in it. Your intuition must be really bad if you thought it was flawless."
His smile faded. "See, that's the thing," he replied, bringing out his hands as though wanting to act out his explanation. "I formed the plan last night when you were over at Dahyun's place. You're weren't here which clearly explains that my mind doesn't function when you aren't around. I might as be a remote-controlled robot like that. So that's why I need you to accompany me to my mansion so we can spend the rest of our lives together. Simple."
By this point, she could practically feel the steam pouring out of her ears. "Jungkook, I swear, quit with the flirting."
"I wasn't flirting. Just saying what's true." He shrugged his shoulders and smirked that devilish trademark smirk of his.
"You know," she said, her tone suddenly calm, "if I could rule the world one day, I would have the scientists invent brains that they could sell in the market. I bet they would have a lot in stock for you. And trust me, I'll make sure of that."
"You know, Chu Chu--"
"Don't call me that."
He masked her words and raised his volume. "So as I was saying, Chu Chu, half of the time when you're like this, I never know if you're actually mad or just in a mood of insulting me. It's discommoding coming from a straight forward person like you. So tell me, what're you tryna do right now?"
"Consider it both. And please do add in mind my urge to strangle you." Though she wanted to seem calm, her blood had reached the boiling point inside the cooking pot of her body. And maybe the calmness on her red face wasn't so plain anymore. And it definitely wasn't when he opened that cursed mouth of his again.
"And wanting to rule the world?" Jungkook said, his smirk saying incontrovertibly that he was trying to get on her nerves. "That sure is a big dream, Tzu. So proud of you. Thinking big for your future, huh? Already plotting to leave your stupid man behind with his head full of dog crap? I see." He stepped back from her to the door. "Alright, if that's what you."
In a New York minute, Tzuyu kicked up her legs and sat up. She gawked at him, gritting her teeth so hard that they might've broken down into grains of dust. The iridescent glow of irascibility loomed inches above her skin. Jungkook could almost see its purple shimmer.
A wind kicked up. Tzuyu cringed at the sudden jangle of the window blinds and ogled back at his face.
By the look of him, and only by one glance, one might think him a logical guy. He wore the expression of thoughtfulness well, but it was only there for show. And it was only there because he was always so sure of his idiotic schemes. Like the time when he hid his break up with Lisa from his mother. Never thought how'd she feel when she met Tzuyu. Never thought how'd Tzuyu feel when she found out. He never had a plan B. He never put much back up facts for its accuracy. He never put much thought about its tendency to work out well at all.
Tzuyu lost a little of her composure. A foolish bag of skin and bones and muscles and handsome looks he was! And to think she was dating him! "Jungkook," she grumbled after the dark, blinking spots cleared from her vision, "I really don't see where you are going from there, but just stop."
"What do you mean?" he snapped back. "I can already tell that you're leaving me behind in the future like you're leaving me behind right now."
Tzuyu ran her fingers across the skin of her temples. She could feel a slight throbbing pain on the right side. "Oh my lord, Jungkook," she growled. "As far as I know, none of your parents did acting and performances as a career. Where do you store all that drama inside you? I thought only girls had it in them. Boys usually tend to stay away from creating scenes."
"Well, what do you expect me to say?" he prodded. "You're leaving me, aren't you?"
"For the last time, Jungkook, will you stop overlooking things? How foolish are you?" she yelled and held her head tighter. "This is just so childish!"
"What? How is it childish? Do you even know what's going on inside here?" He placed a hand over his heart and glared at her.
"Jungkook--gosh, why do I keep saying your name over and over and over again?--ugh!" She flopped back down on the bed and shut her eyes, unable to take the sight of him anymore. "Why in the world are you acting like I'm moving countries?"
"Because that's what it feels like!"
"We're still going to see each other during class!"
"Only class, Tzu! That's the problem! That's it! We wouldn't even be living together anymore!"
"Then come see me every day! I don't even know why the hell you're making such a big deal out of it when we live barely fifteen minutes away! And with your maniac driving skills, you'll be there in fifteen seconds!"
"Oh, so we're going from one wall to a whole mile between us?" Jungkook glowered. "Heck, it used to only be an inch!"
"Well, too bad!" she gasped. "Too bad that you gotta wait a few years until you get to officially share a bed with me."
"See, that's the thing." He leaned forward and slapped his palms on his knees. "Mom gave you your own room! What's the point when there's enough space in mine?"
"That's doesn't make any sense. But again, nothing you're saying does. And isn't that a good thing? I have a permanent space of my own in your home. That should be good enough for you."
He had no reply to that.
Her eyes flew open. She craned her neck to look at him, softening up a little. He stared back at her, doe-eyed.
A little understanding dawned on her. Maybe it was really that bad for him. It must be really hard for him that he acted up like this. She smiled. He loved her so much, so much that she almost felt like she was in debt.
"I'm not going anywhere," she said, her voice half-drowned in a whisper. "I'm not going anywhere without you. Understand that?"
He didn't say anything back to her.
She sat up for the second time to get a clear view of her boyfriend.
But he wasn't looking at her anymore. Instead, he was occupying his attention by staring at his watch, the one she gave him on Christmas.
"Understand that, Jungkook?" she asked again. "I'm not going anywhere without you. I'm not leaving you behind. You're my other half. My life is incomplete without you."
A hush fell over the room. She didn't get up but stared at him, leaning against the wall with his legs and arms crossed, from the bed. He made no move either, just stood with his bulging muscles stiff under his black full-sleeve shirt.
"Jungkook, you there?
Buzz, the silence chimed in.
All she could do was watch, not wanting to force him into looking at her. Maybe he was finally getting that brain to work and think it all out.
But no.
Suddenly, his lips tugged a smile. Mischief sparkled in his eyes. Soon, that smile grew into a grin and then, a laugh.
She was confused. "What?"
He held on to his sides, tears of that happy pain making a river down his cheeks. The whole room filled with the hearty sound of his wheezes.
Tzuyu made a face, giving him time to let his laughter subside before he talked.
"Nothing, Tzu. It's just that . . ." He laughed again. "You call me dramatic while you're a whole dialog script yourself. One moment you're all slang and short talk but the next, your words are filled to the top with emotion."
Tzuyu drew back, suddenly shy. "I . . . No, it's not! I was just--"
"You really are something, aren't you?" He turned over to the window and sat down on the window sill, a piece of wood unnecessarily jutting out of the wall, barely giving him three inches to sit on. "You know, kinda bipolar," he said, although his tone didn't make it seem like it was addressed particularly to her.
"No, I'm not . . ."
"I guess that's just how we balance each other. I like the idea of it."
Tzuyu loosened up at that. "Yeah, I guess so," she said. She licked her dry lips, clicking her tongue at the taste of her strawberry gloss that she had put on in the morning, and wiped the saliva with her thumb.
Jungkook was still lost in his own little bubble, still laughing at her. His girlfriend, a walking-talking dialog script. Haha. He gave himself a moment to let it fully wear off. Tzuyu said nothing, just laid sprawled on the bed, smacking her lips. Just by her face, he could tell she was recalling her words. Dramatic. Ha. Funny word. No? Dramatic, dramatic, dramatic. Dramatic Tzuyu. Dramatic Jungkook. Dramatic, dramatic. They were dramatic, weren't they? Really dramatic. Super dramatic. Mega dramatic. Dramatic, dramatic, dramatic . . .
The wind outside shushed. It brought an unfamiliar feeling to their ears. With the whooshing of its gusts gone, the sound of the students outside became more audible. And it gave them a reminder of what they'd left off two minutes ago.
Jungkook straightened up, his shoulders squared in a line. "Tzu?" he called her.
She didn't hear.
"Tzu?" he called again. "Tzuyu," he said, a little louder with more force.
That seemed to have popped the bubble she was in. "Huh? What, Kook?" She propped herself up.
He paused and breathed. It hurt. Yet another promise about to be broken. "So . . . So you're not coming?"
The emotion in his voice went right to the median of her heart. For the twentieth time that day, she looked away from him.
She knew she was right, that her decision was the right one of the two options, but the hurt on his face affected her. Gone was the light on his face. And gone was the smirk.
Her answer came out in a whisper, soft and reluctant. "Yeah."
His . . . was harsh. "Knew it."
And before she knew it, Jungkook was up on his feet and out the room. The door slammed shut with a BANG!
<×>×<×>×<×>×<×>×<×>
Even the tiniest of the hair on her arms swayed in the cool, gentle whispers of the breeze.
The throbbing had worsened in her elbows, pulsing like a heartbeat under her skin. She had given her bones a rest, making a comprise by carrying only one bag at a time instead of two in each hand. Now, three more waited up at the dorm which meant three more trips up the five sets of stairs. The elevator was still being fought over. If Tzuyu really would get to rule the world, she'd make sure every dormitory had at least two.
The courtyard was crowded. And by crowded, it meant stuff teeming everywhere: on the ground, on the benches, on the rocks, and even on the trees, though mostly bags hanging off the branches with their strings and straps.
Tzuyu took the shortcut, her grumpy self not in the mood of pushing through the hoards of squirming students. She walked over to the parking lot from the garden, careful not to step over the flower beds. The bendy grass tickled her feet. She hoisted up her foot, wincing at the touch. Matching up to her mood, the tips of the blades were sharp and pointy, every crunch sounding like shattering bones as she pressed her weight on the ground.
Halfway down her walk, Tzuyu stumbled in her step.
She looked at her feet to find one of the straps of her sandals unbuckled. With a groan, emanating deep from her throat, she set aside the bag she was holding and bent down to tighten it up. Then she checked her other one too to make sure they kept out of her way.
The parking lot was almost empty of cars by the time she arrived, although the free car slots were taken up by students who couldn't find a place to relax in the courtyard. She scanned over the heads of a group of tall third-year boys to look for Jungkook's car. She sighed with relief when she saw her stuff still where she'd left it, her bags untouched, and the two vases and her side lamp intact. Lifting and shutting his car boot was a pain in the bottom so she didn't bother. And her arms were really not feeling up to the task. She'd put them all in when she was done bringing down all her luggage.
All of a sudden, she wished she had one big suit case that'd fit all of her belongings. Lugging down smaller bags in just one hold that kept slipping out was a job that tested her nerves.
And know who else was testing her nerves?
Uh, huh, right.
That thick-headed boyfriend of hers. If he had helped her from the start, she might've already been settled in her new apartment by now with Mina. Tzuyu could almost place a bet that he could lift up all her bags in just one hold.
Just by thinking about him, she slowly found herself drifting off to the world of her dreams.
Those huge muscles . . . Those washboard abs . . . That strong, hard chest . . .
Hey, when was the last time she had seen him shirtless? And those smooth, wet lips--crap.
Realizing where her mind was wandering off to, she waved her hands around her head, knowing perfectly how awkward an onlooker would find that. But that was just one of her weird methods to shoot away the stray bits of thoughts she had no time for. She hunched over in embarrassment, silently hoping that her bold fantasies weren't appearing above her head in forms of smoky clouds.
The speed of the wind picked up. One of her vases swayed in the cement ground. Her hands bolted to steady it.
Looking around, she concluded that it wasn't a good idea, after all, to leave her stuff unsupervised. And to make it more clear, the group of boys brought out a soccer ball and began to kick it around, gaining themselves more space in the lot as they used the unsaid excuse of moving around to get the ball.
Yup, definitely not a good idea.
She cursed them. And she cursed them all. Especially Jeon Jungkook.
She fished out the car keys from her jeans' pocket and booted the engine. Pulling open one of the back door with a hard yank, Tzuyu carefully set inside the two vases and her lamp. She then wedged her collection of plushies that Jungkook gave and the cushions that she kept on the sofa on the sides for extra protection.
When she finally pulled out of the car, all the things she'd brought so far all cozied up squeezed together in tight spots, she thought she was done. The car almost seemed so full that it gave her that feeling of relief, but then she remembered that she still had three more bags idling up there.
"Stupid, stupid," her mind began, ranting against Jungkook. "Stupid jerk. Idiot. That idiot. I hate you, Jungkook. Ow, my arm hurts. That jerk . . . The selfish monster. That self-centered fool. Ugly jerk." Once she began, she couldn't get herself to stop. Her mutters went on and on as she massaged her stiff joints, cracking like a grandma's. "Stupid, stupid. Dummy dumb dumb. No brains. That mega-ugly ogre. Thinks he's so great? With that hideous face? Stupid dummy. A sack of dumbness, that's what he is. Mean monster. Rude idi--"
She choked in her saliva and coughed.
Soon as she recovered, she continued. It made her feel better. Good thing he wasn't there to hear or else--
A shadow loomed over and broke in.
Her rant came to a halt, in the middle of the addition of some new vocabulary, much meaner than before. Her stomach plunged.
Good timing, that shadow had, for it interfered before her mind went cuckoo enough to start a bonfire and begin a chant around it with performing made-up rituals.
Three heavy duffel bags, seemingly bearing so much clothing that the fabrics were ripping at the seams, landed down on her either side with soft thuds.
Tzuyu shifted in her spot. "Dummy dumb dumb," she mumbled to herself, embarrassed, once again, on her own behalf.
"I get it now," said the guy who now had her trapped in the cage of his body. He nuzzled into her neck, kissing the soft spot on her skin. "I'm sorry."
She sucked in the fragrance of his manly sweat and body wash. Finally decided to hatch from his shell, did he?
His breaths and the sound of his huffs made her legs go weak, a worthy opponent for Jell-O.
She finally felt defeated in his arms, the throbbing of her elbows spreading all across her body now. She let her body go limp, trusting his firm hold. "I-it's okay," she said. "I'm sorry, too."
"It's alright," Jungkook said. "I love you, Tzu."