Throughout the week, I ignored Jungkook. I received hundreds of texts from him asking me to go to his home for painting, or gradually meet up at Jin’s café or in the library, but I ignored them all. I tried very hard to not to cross path with him in college too which was quite easy since we had complete different department wings.
Why I was ignoring him was the biggest question. I guess I was too hurt to face him and I had been distancing myself from Tae too to make everything more obvious. I guess I was destroying everything between everyone that was bound to happen.
Today was the day to the art museum trip, and I was hundred and one per cent sure he was going to be there. To add more to my situation, Tae turned down the plan at the eleventh hour excusing himself with the packing shit since he would be leaving tomorrow. I was left alone with Jackson. He was a great guy; a history student who had eyes for paintings and antiques so this trip was under his cage. We sat together in the bus our reputed college provided. Jimin wasn’t there either he had dance practice with Hoseok. I was glad Jisoo accompanied me but I was well aware of the fact that there was a hole drilling at the back of my head because of the burning stare given by the person whom I was ignoring the entire week.
Jackson was making conversation with Hwasa and Jisoo that was like a Greek to me. I was getting conscious about my posture and whether I was hallucinating or not, but I felt like he was staring at the back of my head and just like a complete coward I am, I sunk into my seat slowly.
The bus stopped in front of the big building of museum and before entering inside, Mrs Jung asked us all to make random partners for making report that must be presented after the break ends. I was about to make my team with Yugyeom but got interrupted by someone.
“Is it okay if I would team up with Charlie?” Jungkook spoke to Mrs Jung ignoring me completely. The professor nodded her head and smiled before turning towards other students to help them team up with. I peeped sideways at the boy dressed in black looking ahead at the building. The weather was turning colder just like how my moods were turning every second; cold and sick. I didn’t say anything and started walking inside as per Mrs Jung’s instruction.
This was the first time I entered this museum and I had zero clue about it. I followed the map provided at the front desk and thought about making report on modern and contemporary paintings which must be in third floor according to the guide book. Jungkook was following me, for sure and I was letting him, he was my partner after all.
“Heading for contemporary section?” He asked from behind.
“How do you know?” I asked back without turning back and kept climbing the stairs. Such a big museum but no trace of elevator.
“You like contemporary paintings.” He commented casually. Of course I like contemporary paintings unlike him who loved cubism and expressionism. He was the one sucker for crowded paintings and I loved the way how he would mix contemporary art with cubism and expressionism for my sake. “Well, want to make report on something different?” He sounded rude. I stopped on my tracks and turned around to eye him.
“What different?” I asked him as rudely as he did.
“There is a block for European classics.” He shrugged his shoulders. “You’d like it I guess.” I narrowed my eyes at him to see if he was acting weird or I was being weird. He must be mad at me after ignoring him for a fucking week.
“Fine.” I nodded my head and he mimicked me too before turning around and walking the opposite direction where I was heading to. “Have you been here before?” He walked as if he knew this place very well.
“Thrice.” A solo answer was enough for me. He was an art lover and admirer and observer. He would observe something frail and uninteresting and draw it’ characteristic in a way it would turn out to be most amazing art of the world. Like the way he described the features of the waste wood he discovered in the college campus. It was a wooden stick with a feature of an ancient sword according to him. He was different. “Here.” He pointed at the closed door. We were in fifth floor now and no one was here with us. He led us inside and just like he said I would like it, only the view was giving me energy.
“Perfect.” I smiled and looked around the paintings depicting classic European themes. I walked towards the first painting that caught my sight; The Merode Altarpiece. That was the copy did by Korean artist. The technique was same, but to make it different, the panel was hardwood instead of oak used for the original painting. This was one of my favourite paintings and that gave me a discreet idea of using these classic temporaries on different base.
“Why were you ignoring me?” I jumped up and gasped loudly hearing Jungkook’s voice so close to my ear and so low and deep. He scared the shit out of me. I took a deep breath and turned around only to realise we both were real closer. I gulped as soon as our nose touched. He was crouching down a bit to face me and stared right into my eyes.
“I-I wasn’t. I was busy.” I stuttered like a coward I am and lied on his face. He chuckled in an annoyed tone and stood straight folding his hands over his chest.
“You are a terrible liar you know.” He looked down at me and did I tell you he was intimidating?
“I’m not lying, I was busy with some stuffs.” I stood on my grounds and watched him looking down for a bit and sighing before looking back to me. His eyes were curious again.
“Charlie, I know you saw me in front of the library.” Should I feel flustered by this, because I am feeling nowhere near flustered, I feel sad. “I was drunk and-”
“You don’t need to explain Jungkook.” I interrupted him. “Why are you even explaining me when you were not wrong?” I was scared if his explanation would give me hope or an unspeakable promise.
“But I want to explain it to you. You are misunderstanding.”
“How do you know I am misunderstanding it?” I tried to act rude and stiff.
“Because I know you.” He looked sad for some reason; his curious eyes told me he was getting sad.
“If you know me well then you should even know this that I have a boyfriend.” Maybe I was too straight, but it was good for everyone. Even though my tries were waste and frail, but at least I tried.
“But-"
“We need to get through this sooner Jungkook.” I pointed around the room. “And it’s illegal for you to drink at your age.” I commented and turned away from him. I took the camera out and started snapping the pictures of painting and their painters.
“Charlie, wait.” He pulled me by my arm harshly and pinned my back on the wall of the painting I was examining earlier. The camera from my hand dropped down and I gave him a death glare. He was closer to my face, not that I cared at the moment, or I did. “Please.” He whispered in desperation. “Please don’t ignore me.” His eyes were sad, brows furrowed and lips pressed in a tight line.
“I don’t have any other choice Jungkook. You are messing up everything.” Great, now I was blaming him for everything. “I feel like losing everything when I am with you."
“Don’t I make you happy?” He asked in vain. I felt like filming a drama or something in that position and exchanging such powerful dialogues. The grip on my shoulders tightened and he gritted his teeth boring his orbs into mine. “Don’t you see that beautiful smile you have when you’re with me?”
“And that makes me distant with someone dear to me.” I spat with anger. I was angry with me not him, it was all my fault to generate a need to know him and spend time with him.
“You don’t love Taehyung.” He concluded bluntly.
“You are no one to tell me if I love someone or not.” I don’t know where this was going, but I was losing my shits. This situation was extra dramatic and too much fake, but that happened anyway unfortunately. He was so close that I smelled his mild honey scent. He was wearing different cologne, something fresh and pure just like the breeze of water.
“Charlie,” he spelled my name in so much of defeat that it broke my heart, “I have just one request,” he was looking helpless, “please don’t ignore me. You have so much of my belongings with you that I cannot bear your ignorance. I need your attention.” This was also among those things that I never knew; the belongings he was talking about. Nevertheless I agreed to his request even though it would hurt me a lot.