Chaeyoung’s POV
I remained staring blankly at my phone the moment Jungkook ended the call. I had no idea what he had in mind when he suddenly told me he was coming here to see me. I was confused because I couldn’t remember us planning to meet after work. Yet deep inside, I knew I was excited to see him again despite seeing him only this morning.
This week Jungkook had been adamant in sending me to work almost every morning. He insisted to do so and never once listened to my protests.
When does he ever?
My schedule for the past three days was hectic.
My parents were celebrating their silver wedding anniversary so I flew back to Australia on Thursday evening and landed on Friday morning. Then I slept for the rest of the morning on Friday to recover from my jet lag. In the afternoon, I was occupied in preparing for the mini party that we held in the evening at the backyard of our home. We had a few guests, some relatives and close friends.
On Saturday, I spent almost the entire day meeting my friends, classmates in college and former colleagues from my previous work. It was physically draining because I had no time to rest but I relented because I did not go there to rest anyway. I came back to Australia to spend time with the people that I missed after being gone for almost a month.
Then Sunday was family day. We spent the day like we used to before. We went to church in the morning, ate lunch at our favorite restaurant and went to buy grocery together. Alice and I were trailing behind mom with various snacks in our hands, just like how we always did when we were kids.
Afterwards, we ate dinner at home with the four of us helping each other in preparing our dinner. I was flying back to Korea that evening so we decided to have our dinner at an earlier time, then I would have enough time to prepare for my flight.
It was a little past lunchtime when I got back to Seoul. The overnight bag in my hand felt three times heavier and my legs felt like jelly. I did not think I could walk on my own from exhaustion. During the entire flight, I was either eating or asleep. We even had more than two hours of stopover yet I still felt like I was drained of energy.
When I got to my apartment, I was completely knocked out the moment my back landed on the bed. A couple of hours later, I woke up a few minutes past ten o’clock with a grumbling stomach. At first, I tried to ignore my hunger and get back to sleep. But like ever, I could not neglect my stomach’s complaints. I frowned as I got up from the bed, a part of me wanted to get back to sleep but it was easily defeated with the other part of me that was already starting to imagine all kinds of food that I was craving.
I walked to the kitchen and turned on every light switch that I passed by on the way. I was already used to my own apartment and confident enough to claim that I wouldn’t have a hard time finding my way even if I was blindfolded.
Across my bedroom was the guest room and a common bathroom was in the middle of the two rooms. I was so happy about my apartment’s layout because I got to have a balcony outside my bedroom. Then next to the guest room was the entire living room. And on the other side of the living room was the kitchen with a dining space and the wash area on the corner.
And as I mentioned, I might survive finding my way around my apartment blindfolded but that didn’t mean that I could do it without any scratch or bruise. I even hit my toes on the edge of cabinet, broke a flower vase sitting on my bedside table and bumped my head on the cabinet hanging over the kitchen sink when I was fully awake and all the lights were shining so bright. So I made sure to turn on every light because my clumsiness almost always got on the way.
When I got out of my room, I turned right and walked a few steps before I turned right again on the next corner. I stood in the middle of the kitchen as I decided on what to eat while searching for food. But to my dismay, the refrigerator was as empty as my food cabinet. There was not even a single food left. I inwardly groaned in displeasure and belatedly realized that I purposely did not buy grocery last week because I did not want any food going spoilt and wasted while I was away.
The next moment, my stomach roared, clearly not happy at the turn of events.
“Hey! I feel you, okay? And we’re going to do something about this.” I cried to myself while rubbing my hand in circles over my grumbling stomach.
I got the phone from my pocket and frowned seeing that it was already a half hour past ten.
Ugh! What do I do now?! I did not even stock ramen.
I knew that I should get out of my apartment because there was no way I could satisfy myself with water alone. If only it wasn’t that late, I wouldn’t be hesitating to go out right this instant for food.
But I needed to live. So with my pride forgotten and my confidence boosted, I marched my way to the apartment next to mine and rang the doorbell at least ten times before I let go of the poor doorbell.
A few minutes after, I heard a blast of protest from inside the apartment. And I felt myself cower in anxiety as my confidence began to drop a couple of levels down by each passing second. Then the door in front of me widely opened all of a sudden, putting me in shock at the unforeseen timing and the rush of cold air hitting my face from the impact of opening the door in such a manner. I took a half step backwards and lowered my head down, not daring to meet Jungkook’s gaze. But I was fully aware of his piercing stare at the top of my head.
I lightly grabbed the hem of his shirt after I gulped the lump on my throat. I felt like my heartbeat was running a thousand miles per hour from the nerves that was tickling all over me. So I held on to Jungkook for strength and courage as I spoke.
“Jeon, sorry for waking you up this late but I can’t go back to sleep because I’m really hungry and there’s no food in my apartment. So . . .” This time, I risked looking up at him with a pout on my face.
No, I am not trying to be cute. But if it is working to my advantage then I must be doing exactly that.
“So can you spare me some food, please?” I softly added while looking straight into his eyes.
In a matter of seconds his face displayed at least three kinds of facial expression, annoyance, confusion, and complete cluelessness. Then he tried to compose himself by clearing his throat before answering.
“Park, I would never mind your advances but next time a little warning would be much appreciated. Or you’re really going to be the death of me.” He muttered under his breath and I wished did not hear him clearly.
But I did. And his words were getting stuck in my head and made me feel like all the oxygen was sucked out of my lungs. His words were a double edged sword. It rang softly against my ears with a hopeful promise. But the confusion it left me was banging inside my head, making me question how he could tell me those things yet pine for another girl at the same time.
I was still thinking about what he just said when a soft chuckle chimed in the air around me.
He is laughing.
And gone was all my insecurities . . . gone for now at least.
Witnessing him laugh even after I barged into his apartment and disturbed his peaceful sleep was the answer to my self-gratification. I knew I was not deserving of it but I did not care, at all. For even a moment, I wanted to pretend that he was actually happy to see me, whatever his real reason was.
“So . . . food?” He asked, interrupting me from my jumbled thoughts.
I eagerly nodded my head in response, remembering now why I was here in the first place.
“Come in.” He said while pulling me inside his apartment.
“Wait!” I said as I stood firmly on his doorway. “I only meant to ask for food, you didn’t have to invite me inside. After you give me some, I’ll leave you and your sleep in peace. I swear.” I even crossed my heart to assure him of the sincerity in my words.
“Well, I can give you food but you have to eat everything inside my apartment before I will allow you to leave.” He retorted while pulling me more forcefully inside his apartment. “Only in that way can I go back to sleep in peace.”
“But . . .” I tried to pull his arm off of my wrist but it was no use because he was the Jeon Jungkook after all.
“I don’t wanna hear any more protest from you Park.” He said while taking the slippers off my feet and pushing me towards his kitchen.
The next day, I heard him say the same exact phrase.
“I don’t wanna hear any more protest from you Park.” He uttered while pushing me inside his car.
After what happened last night, Jungkook became extra attentive towards me. He came to my apartment a little too early the next morning, bringing shame to the roosters in the neighborhood for not doing their job and allowing Jungkook to be up and about before them. He cooked breakfast in my kitchen with the ingredients that he brought with him. I was grateful, of course, but I couldn’t help getting a bit irritated at him for waking me up too early that day.
And to make it up to me, he insisted on sending me to work that morning. I did not want him to do that because I was fully aware that the drive between our offices would take too much of his time. Plus, the hassle that it would cause him in driving back and forth during rush hour. However, he never listened to me.
Jeon Jungkook is really stubborn. Argh!
Now I could not remember how I got into this situation. Well yes I knew beforehand that I was in this situation. Nevertheless, actually standing in between Jungkook and Jaehyun felt like I was spinning in cycle inside a gigantic washing machine. Confusion, hesitation, nervousness and anxiety were pushing and pulling me on all sides. And the need to say something right this moment was doubling the pressure that was weighing on me.
For the first minute, I shifted my gaze between Jungkook and Jaehyun but that only made matters worse. I could not and refused to acknowledge what they were both trying to tell me with their eyes. So I avoided to meet them in the eyes and looked somewhere else.
Coincidentally, I saw the girls walking behind me. But what confused me was the way they were passing by me as if we did not know each other. They were walking side by side with their arms looped around each other and their heads bowed down.
I tried not to mind it, for now, because I badly needed their help.
“Girls!” I called out to them but they blatantly ignored me and went on their way. They even walked faster away from me.
“Wait!!!” I screamed, causing the three of them to stop walking further. They quickly turned towards me with their pretty faces marred with looks of guilt. I narrowed my eyes at them and crossed my arms under my chest. “Where are . . .” I tried to ask when Jisoo interrupted me.
“My stupid twin is already waiting for me. Bye!” She blurted before dashing off.
“I, uh . . .” Jennie gulped before she continued. “I love you hubby. Take care!”
And off she went, scurrying after Jisoo.
I raised a brow at Lisa, wordlessly asking her what was going on. But she responded with a blank expression as she shrugged her shoulders and turned her back on me without saying anything.
And I was left dumbfounded with no one else to save me from this difficult situation I was in.
Yup! Those are my girls, my anchor, my constants, my best friends . . . my traitors. I can’t believe that they just left me here . . . to die out of awkwardness.
I bit my lower lip in frustration as I slowly turned back to face the pop quiz presented before me.
Ugh! I wish life is as easy as choosing between A or B, true or false and right or wrong.
But choosing between Jungkook or Jaehyun was a tough choice to make.
BONUS
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Hello! 😊 How is everyone? Hope you're all doing well and healthy.
Another late update here, I'm sorry. 😔 But I hope that you enjoyed reading this story and continue supporting it. I'll try my best to update as soon as I'm able to.
Anyways, thanks to everyone reading this and for your votes and comments. Please let me know what you think about this chapter and the bonus that I did for the first time. 😁
Have a good day everyone!
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