Jungkook’s POV
If I say I’d take you up on your offer and be selfish with you, do you really not mind?
I blankly looked at Chaeyoung. She was looking straight into my eyes, staring right through me.
How was I supposed to answer her?
There was no doubt that I’d answer her affirmatively. But the question suddenly sounded vague. I wanted to know what the underlying conditions were if we both agreed on this, if there were any. I was also concerned of her reason for doing this.
“On second thought . . .”
“I don’t mind at all.”
We both said at the same time.
I smirked in response to the look of surprise on her face.
When will she stop doubting me?
If it was any other day than today, I’d press her to talk about that matter. I could not let her think that I’m not being sincere with my actions toward her. However, I thought otherwise when I realized her current mood. From the way she was acting right now, I could tell that something was bothering her.
Hence, it was probably why she called. I’m guessing that she wanted to invite me to drink with her. But after she heard my inconvenient lie about why I rudely answered her call earlier, she immediately backed out and changed plans. So I kind of deserved it when she tried to push me out of her apartment not too long ago.
“Good.” She mindlessly answered before taking the can from my hand and took a few sips of beer.
Then she wearily leaned back on the backrest of the couch and closed her eyes.
“Jeon, I had a long day. I’m guessing you had one too. So if we can both just sit quietly for a little while, I’d truly appreciate it.”
I nodded my head in response, belatedly realizing that she couldn’t see me because she still had her eyes closed. I wanted to voice out my response but I thought that staying quiet as per her request was already the perfect answer.
I continued drinking the beer in my hand while she stayed still beside me with her chest rising up and down along with her breathing. I stared at her face, longer than I intended to. I wanted to fix the slight frown on her lips and iron out the way her brows were meeting in the middle of her forehead. I wanted to ask her what her problem was but I hoped it was enough that I was with her, that she needed me, at this particular moment.
Her right hand that was lying on top of her thigh slowly slid down to the couch. I looked down to my left hand that was only a few inches away from her hand. I was in the middle of debating with myself whether I should hold her hand or what when she beat me to it. She swiftly took my hand and interlaced our fingers.
“This is part of me being selfish with you. So if you changed your mind, feel free to tell me.” She said while looking at me from the corner of her eyes.
I smiled at her and gave her hand a soft squeeze. She looked dumbfounded as she met my gaze. I could see uncertainty clouding her eyes. But even though I wanted to hear answers from her, I supported her need for silence. We remained staring back at each other with nothing but silence as our accompaniment.
I was getting lost in her eyes until she broke the eye contact after smiling sweetly at me.
Breathe, Jungkook. Breathe.
Park Chaeyoung was going to be the death of me yet I wouldn’t mind, at all.
… … … … …
“Boo!” I screamed before I heard another piercing scream.
I stood shock in amusement while staring at the startled Chaeyoung standing in front of me. We were in front of her apartment and I’ve been waiting for her to come out for about a minute now. Actually, I was about to text her when the door to her apartment was slowly opening before my eyes.
The next thing that I saw was the crown of her head. She was looking down on her feet as she was heading out and I wanted to seize that chance in surprising her. And it was a total success.
She was glaring at me but it was totally worth it. Even when her gaze was screaming how annoyed she was at me right now, I was still beaming in glee. I would take anything as long as she would be looking at me and me only.
“What are you doing here?” She yelled.
“Park, we made a deal last night. So I’m here to fulfill my part of that deal.”
She burrowed her brows in confusion, “What deal?”
“You know . . .” I started to say before I paused.
Suddenly, I felt abashed at my newfound brazenness. I began to doubt whether I was doing the right thing or not. I was afraid that I might scare Chaeyoung away.
“Jeon, if you are talking about what I told you last night . . . please don’t mind it. It was only the alcohol talking.” She reasoned out.
I chuckled at her ridiculousness.
“Park, you haven’t even had a sip of alcohol when you started talking. So I’m certain that it wasn’t anything else but all you. So stop denying it. Plus, I’m not one who easily backs out of a deal so you have nothing to worry about.”
“That is pretty obvious here but I was just thinking . . .”
“Don’t . . . even . . . think. Let’s just . . . go! We better hurry before we get caught up in traffic.” I answered while holding on to her wrist.
She looked down to my hand that was clasped around her wrist before locking the door to her apartment. Then I happily dragged her to the elevator while I was hearing no protest from her.
The ride to her workplace was filled with random music coming from the radio.
“Are you sure it’s here?” I asked after dropping her off in front of her building.
“Of course, I’m sure.”
“So you work at EVE?”
“Yes. Why?”
“I have a friend who works here too.”
“Really? Then it’s a small world after all.” She giggled as she got off the car. “Thanks for the ride, Jeon. Bye!” She scrammed before I can utter a reply.
“Bye! See you later.” I whispered into the air.
… … … … …
Then it’s a small world after all.
Indeed, it is. I realized while looking at my friend who was trying hard not to show his enjoyment as Chaeyoung fed him with what seemed to be porridge.
“From what I heard, that is his Rose right there.” Yugyeom whispered into my ear as we settled in spying on the two people on the other side of the curtain.
His Rose. No! It couldn’t be . . . It’s not even possible, is it?
I was with my childhood friends. Since we were all born in the same year, 1997, we referred to ourselves as the ’97 liners.
We were currently in a bar tuning out the various sounds in the background as we tried our best to listen to one of our friend’s incoherent words. Honestly, all I heard was the anguish cries of a brokenhearted man.
Poor Jaehyun.
I couldn’t understand everything he was trying to say. The only thing I got was that he met a woman named Rose on his shortened internship in Australia. He was smitten the moment he saw her. So he did not waste his time and pursued her right away. It took him a month of courtship before they started dating. Their relationship was going well until his parents found him and dragged him back to Korea.
Oh yeah! He went to Australia to escape his parents who were trying to tie him into an arranged marriage.
He left Australia without having the chance to talk to Rose. Then his parents mercilessly threw away his phone, giving him no means of contacting Rose ever again.
Later that night, I went home with a drunken Jaehyun slumped on the passenger seat beside me. He kept on mumbling her name all the way to his apartment, Rose.
I was on my way home when I received a text from Yugyeom. He told me to meet him in this hospital because Jaehyun got into an accident at work. I did not need to think twice before I turned around on the way to the hospital. But as I was looking at Jaehyun and Chaeyoung right now, I probably should have just gone home.
I was absolutely not expecting Jaehyun’s Rose and my Park Chaeyoung to be the same woman.
Now, what?
I haven’t experienced this with any of my guy friends. Never did we fall for the same girl. So I couldn’t think of what to do regarding this complication. Jaehyun and I had been friends ever since we were in diapers but Chaeyoung was the woman that I’ve been pining over for the past couple of years.
And that time when Jaehyun talked about Rose, it was the first and last time that we ever heard about her. He refused to talk about her afterwards, having lost hope in reconciling with her. But we all knew that he never moved on from her because he never got back into the dating scene ever since then.
So if Jaehyun and I are planning to pursue the same woman, what am I supposed to do now?
I felt like I was brought back to school days where the teacher gave a surprise quiz. It was that kind of quiz where we were given two choices and I didn’t know what the correct choice was. The nursery rhyme Eeny Meeny Miny Moe usually worked for me in those situations. But in this real life predicament, I couldn’t possibly rely on my go-to nursery rhyme.
I was still lost in my thoughts when I felt Yugyeom pulling me.
“Hey!” Yugyeom excitedly greeted. “I hope Jungkook and I are not interrupting you or anything. But we’ve already been standing outside for at least ten minutes that we were starting to get weird looks from everyone passing by. So we both decided to barge in before someone reports us.”
I furtively gave Yugyeom a side-eye.
No. I certainly never took part in deciding to be in this cramped space.
Even with the curtains fully opened behind us, I still felt like I was gasping for air as I stood beside Yugyeom in front of Chaeyoung and Jaehyun. Jaehyun was sitting upright on the bed while Chaeyoung was sitting on the chair right next to the bed.
I looked down on the floor. I didn’t have the heart to face Chaeyoung and Jaehyun.
“It’s fine.” Jaehyun stammered. “Rose . . .”
Rose. Now there’s no doubt that Park Chaeyoung and Rose is one and the same person.
“I mean, Chaeyoung was only helping me eat my porridge.” He explained.
“I see.” Yugyeom said in his teasing tone before he added. “So what happened?”
“Chaeyoung was making her coffee at the office pantry when I approached her out of nowhere and she accidentally spilled her steaming coffee on my arm. It’s actually fine. Chaeyoung here was just worrying too much.” Jaehyun shared with ease as if he did not get himself hurt.
“It’s a second-degree burn, Jaehyun-ssi. And it was still my fault which is only why I’m concerned.” She whispered.
And that’s another kind of burn right there. Chaeyoung was formally addressing Jaehyun in contrast to how Jaehyun casually called Chaeyoung by her name earlier. I tried not to snicker in delight.
I was sensing Chaeyoung’s animosity towards Jaehyun. Normally, I would feel bad for my friend knowing his real reason for leaving Australia without telling Chaeyoung. But I couldn’t deny the flicker of hope that I was feeling inside. Knowing that Chaeyoung and Jaehyun had a misunderstanding in the past could actually be in my advantage . . . or disadvantage at the same time.
Having thought that, I immediately realized the answer to my predicament just now.
I will keep on trying to win Chaeyoung’s heart until she settles on someone, only hoping that someone is me.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
How was it? I hope you enjoyed that chapter. And thank you for supporting this story even when I don't update that often. I'm trying though, I swear. ✋
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