“Do you ever think Mr. Kim still has it in for us for what we did?”

Jungkook, Jimin and Taehyung were seated on the floor of the dance studio. After the little ‘wrestling match’ with Jaera, Jungkook had called his friends to meet up, using the excuse that they needed to practice more. School had long finished so it was completely empty. Luckily, Jimin still had the key he’d stolen and getting back into the building was a piece of cake.

Late afternoon sunlight floated through the open windows and there was the hum of an R&B track playing from Jimin’s speakers. There hadn’t been much talking going on, so Jungkook’s sudden question caught them a bit off guard.

“I wouldn’t be surprised,” Jimin finally spoke. “I mean, we were always the bad guys in his eyes. So regardless of that, he would still hate us no matter what.”

Taehyung nodded. “And if he did really want us to pay, he could’ve easily expelled us ages ago. But even now he’s giving you a chance to not get expelled. So maybe he doesn’t care anymore.”

Jungkook frowned, still unconvinced. His past hadn’t exactly been squeaky clean. He’d had the weight of a thousand mistakes on his shoulders for so long and it seemed like they would never budge.

“If you ask me, I still think that’s strange, though,” Jimin added. “That Mr. Kim is giving you a chance. If he hates us so much, why didn’t he just kick you out the first time he caught you fighting with Jaera?”

“I don’t know...” Jungkook shrugged. “That’s a good question. But I mean, it wouldn’t look good for him, kicking out the school’s star basketball player, would it?”

“Yet here he is, threatening to take that very position off you,” Taehyung pointed out.

“True.”

“It seems like an empty threat to me,” Jimin said. “Maybe he really does see you and Jaera’s behavior as a problem and that’s it. We kinda did ruin a lot for him, so if he can put that behind him, you should too.”

He reached over to pat the younger boys’ shoulder reassuringly. “For now, stop thinking about him, okay? Just focus on making peace with the girl, staying in Mr. Kim’s good books and getting closer to that basketball career.”

Jungkook smiled. “And don’t forget, this place,” he said, gazing around the polished studio.

“That’s a given,” Jimin said with a chuckle. “I’m not letting anybody take this off us again.”

“Don’t know why we didn’t do it earlier. I missed this place,” Taehyung commented.

Jimin shifted his gaze to Jungkook, the sullen expression still evident on the latter’s face. “Maybe some of us just weren’t ready.”

As if a silent agreement had been made, the boys decided not to talk about the subject any longer.

“Oh, I almost forgot. Can I ask you guys for something?” Jungkook said, breaking the momentary silence.

“What is it?”                                                                                       

“I’ve gotta babysit Jaera’s cousin this weekend. I could really use some help.”

“Won’t Jaera be there? She can help you, can’t she?” Taehyung asked.

“Or you can just skip it altogether?” Jimin suggested. “Since when does Jeon Jungkook babysit his enemy’s relatives?”

“It’s hard to explain, but I think our parents are trying to test us. Jaera already tried getting me to skip out on it, probably to make herself look better than me. So I’m gonna do it. It’d be a lot easier with you guys there, too.”

“So you two trying to become friends has turned into a competition instead?” Jimin slightly shook his head. “But, I guess... I could. Just for a while. I was gonna fine tune the song this weekend.”

“Thanks, man” Jungkook said. “Taehyung?”

“Why not? Kids love me anyways.” A goofy smile spread across his face.

“Sweet,” Jungkook said, his mood gradually lifting. “I don’t know what six year old girls like doing for fun, but how bad could it be right?”

---

Jungkook soon realized the answer to his question when he was awoken on Saturday by a chilling shriek. He jumped out of bed, following the sound of high-pitched screaming and inaudible sobs. What the is going on? Not even caring that he was still in his sleep wear, he bounded down the stairs to see a bunch of strangers standing near the door along with Jaera’s mom.

The imfamous Miyoung was clutching to somebody he guessed to be her mother, crying and screaming like her shoes were on fire.

“No, Mommy! Don’t leave me here!”

Miyoung’s father tried pulling her in the opposite direction but her little arms were securely wrapped around her mom’s leg. She was kicking and thrashing all over the place, which kinda reminded him of Jaera. As if on cue, Jaera also emerged from the stairs and stood beside Jungkook.

“Are you regretting not listening to me now?” she asked, so only Jungkook could hear.

He side-eyed her and shook his head. “Not really.”

Jaera rolled her eyes in disbelief. Deep down, she knew Jungkook was ting himself. And in all honesty, he was a little scared. The thought crossed his mind that maybe Jaera was actually trying to warn him and steer him away from something he didn’t want to be a part of, but then again, why would she do that for him? If there’s something Jungkook loves more than anything, it’s winning.

Jaera watched in surprise as Jungkook cautiously neared Miyoung and her parents.

What the hell is he doing? She’s going to kill him! Wait... that’s a good thing. She sneered, awaiting the moment when he’d realize his mistake but it never came. Jaera’s smirk faded into a stunned scowl as Jungkook knelt down beside Miyoung.

“Hey, I like your hair,” he said softly, sending the child one of his signature smiles.

Miyoung was mid-scream when she opened her eyes at the sound of his voice. Oh God, Jaera cringed, now he’s seducing six year olds, too. Miyoung’s face turned bright red and her grip on her mother loosened just enough for her dad to pull her off. Everyone in the room stood in amazement as Miyoung’s wailing stopped almost immediately.

“What’s your name?” Jungkook asked the girl.

“M – Miyoung. What’s yours?”

“I’m Jungkook. Jaera’s friend.” Only he and Jaera could sense the distasteful bite in his voice when the last word left his mouth. “You’re gonna be hanging out with us today. Does that sound like fun?”

Miyoung nodded, wiping at her cheeks. Her parents picked her up for a last hug and kiss. “Be good, alright Mimi?”

“Yes, mommy,” Miyoung said with a smile. “Bye~”

Her earlier attitude had completely dissolved. She’d gone from complaining about her parents leaving to practically pushing them out the door.

Jaera stood there, stunned. How did he even do that? Soon, her mother walked over, giving her a somewhat disapproving look and a small hug. “You be good, too. I trust you enough to leave you with both of them, so please be nice.”

Jaera forced a smile. “Of course. You don’t have to worry. Just have fun on your cruise, okay?”

“I will, Jae,” her mother assured her, grabbing the last of her bags. “Well, we’re off now. See you tomorrow morning.”

After a few final goodbyes and well-wishing, the parents all piled into Jaera’s uncle’s car. Jaera watched them drive off into the distance, cursing her mother in her head before dragging herself back to where Miyoung and Jungkook were standing. The little devil was already whining about something else and Jaera laughed at Jungkook’s slightly annoyed expression, even though she felt exactly the same.

“Miyoung.” Jaera decided to intervene. “Did you eat breakfast?”

Her cousin acted as if she hadn’t even heard anything, facing her back towards the older girl. When Jungkook noticed how mad Jaera looked at the way Miyoung blatantly ignored her, his irritation soon turned into satisfaction.

Even if Miyoung was a little frustrating, the fact that being favorited by her bothered Jaera made it less of a problem. Jaera scoffed as Jungkook bent down to ruffle Miyoung’s hair with a fake smile on his face. 

“Are you hungry?” he asked, resulting in an excited nod.

He shot Jaera a look as if he’d proven a point before patting Miyoung’s shoulder. “Go wait in the kitchen and I’ll make something for you.”

“Okay ~” Miyoung sang, obediently rushing to the kitchen. Jaera frowned. Her presence hadn’t even been acknowledged by her own cousin. She never thought she’d even care what Miyoung thought of her, but seeing her fawn over her enemy made her blood boil. Jungkook smirked nonchalantly as he followed after Miyoung.

He stopped next to Jaera to whisper in her ear, “Told you I always win.”

---

Jaera tried to convince herself not to be mad. Sure, Jungkook had pretty much shown her up in front of everyone and her own cousin seemed to like him better than her, but at least that meant Miyoung was preoccupied for now. He can deal with her all day if he wanted. Jaera’s new focus was the fact that she had approximately two hours to come up with an excuse for Jungkook’s presence at her house. Hyesoon would have a field day if she knew he lived with her.

In a bit of a mad rush, Jaera showered, changed out of her pajamas and made something that barely passed as breakfast to eat. After that, she hid in her bedroom and waited. The thought did cross her mind that maybe she should help Jungkook out, but he asked for it. If he thought being better at looking after Miyoung was fun, he could knock himself out. Literally.

Jaera hadn’t even realized she’d fallen asleep until a muffled scream from Miyoung woke her up. At first, she was a bit worried but then she remembered Jungkook was there, so the girl was probably fine. Jumping off her bed, she went downstairs to check anyways. She peeked out the back door to see Jungkook playing with Miyoung on the swings, completely fine and unharmed. Seeing him there brought back a few memories that she had to shake off. Now is not the time to be getting sentimental, she thought, wandering back inside. She was pacing back and forth in the living room when there was a knock on the front door.

. She hadn’t even been able to think of a plausible explanation yet, but she guessed it was too late now. Her mind was still scrambling for ideas when she opened the door. The nervous smile on her face was soon replaced by a confused frown when she saw Taehyung and Jimin standing on the porch and not her best friend. What are they doing here?

“Hey, Jaera. Is Jungkook here?”

To say she was surprised was an understatement. Her gaze travelled between the two boys for a moment before she reluctantly stepped aside. “He’s out the back.”

“Thanks,” they both said as they slipped off their shoes.

Jaera stayed rooted in her spot as she tried to comprehend the situation. So now she had to explain to Hyesoon why Jungkook and  his friends were there. Great. Speaking of, Jaera glanced up to see Hyesoon strolling up the driveway, a bag hanging from her shoulder and a giant grin plastered across her face. Sometimes, she hated how impeccable Hyesoon’s timing could be.

Hyesoon laughed to herself as she reached the porch. “Were you that excited to see me?”

“W – What?” Jaera stuttered, reminding herself to be normal.

“Well, you’re standing in front of an open door like you’ve been waiting for me,” her best friend teased, wrapping an arm around her in a hug. “Where’s your cousin?”

“Oh, she’s playing outside,” Jaera mumbled, closing the door behind Hyesoon. “What’d you bring?”

The two girls walked into the adjacent living room and Hyesoon dumped her bag on the couch. “I’ve got snacks, a drink and some DVDs that I thought Miyoung would like. I think it’s Barbie or something.”

Jaera smiled. “Cool... This is gonna be so much fun,” Jaera said, but her best friend could sense the anxiousness in her tone.

“Everything okay?”

“Y – Yeah. Don’t worry about it.”

“Jaera~!” a tiny voice screamed from the rear of the house. Both girls looked up when Miyoung came running into the living room. Jaera was a bit surprised because it was the first time her cousin had spoken to her all morning. The girl, who was now fully dressed in a fairy costume for who knows what reason, had a hand rested on her hip as if she was in authority. “Oppa said to bring him and his friends some food. They’re hungry.”

Jaera ignored Hyesoon’s questioning look and rolled her eyes. “Tell that idiot to make his own food. I’m not a maid.”

Miyoung scoffed and her heels, sprinting back out of the room. Hyesoon was holding back a laugh at the six year old’s attitude until it dawned on her. “Wait, so who else is here? I thought you were going to be alone.”

Jaera cringed. “You were gonna find out sooner or later, so I might as well show you. Come on.”

Curiosity flashed through Hyesoon’s eyes as they made their way to the back yard.

***

“I’m glad everyone could be here. You’re probably all a bit confused but let me tell you, nobody’s more confused than me.”

Hyesoon paced the front of the living room as she spoke, almost like a teacher during a lecture. Everyone was seated around the room, a mixture of confusion and boredom in the air.

After she had interrogated Jaera about the whole ‘Jungkook moving in’ situation, Hyesoon insisted she would help. Jaera couldn’t understand how forcing everyone into this meeting would be helping, but she went along with it.

Surveying the room, Hyesoon continued. “I’m just disappointed that out of everybody here, I was the last to find out.” She threw a look at Jaera. “But that’s okay. From where I’m standi – “

“Jesus Christ, do you ever shut up?” Jungkook groaned, while the other two boys snorted.

Hyesoon stopped walking and approached the sofa where Jungkook was standing. He backed up a bit.

“Jeon Jungkook. I’m doing this for your own good. If you didn’t know, I’m chief editor of the Bangtan newsletter and I’m sure everybody in school would just love to hear about you living with the girl you supposedly hate. Or how a few minutes ago, a six year old girl was able to convince you to put a tiny tutu on a plastic pony named Princess May May.”

Miyoung, who was sitting in Taehyung’s lap and combing one of her doll’s hair looked up with a grin, while Jungkook’s face had immediately stiffened.

Hyesoon smirked. “That’s what I thought. Can I continue now?”

Jimin glanced at Taehyung in surprise. Jaera was always stunned to see this side of Hyesoon. She had no idea how she could be confident enough to talk to the most popular boys in school as if they wore no better than the janitors that mopped the floors every night. But seeing Jungkook’s face right now was priceless.

“Maybe you should just get to the point, Hye,” Jaera said, feeling a little annoyed herself.

“Alright,” she said, glad everybody was now paying full attention. “Jimin, Taehyung. You’re like, best friends with Jungkook, right?”

The boys nodded.

“And I’m Jaera’s best friend. Now, it’s obvious these two are stuck in something that’s difficult to get out, but as their loyal companions, we should be able to help them. So I think it’s time for all of us to work together. Jaera and Jungkook need to become friends by the end of this semester, and as far as I know, that’s not gonna be easy.”

“Damn straight,” Jaera mumbled.

“But we have to try, okay? I don’t want Jaera getting expelled, and I’m sure you guys don’t want Jungkook to lose his basketball scholarship.”

“ing hell, why don’t you just tell the whole world, Jaera?” Jungkook scowled.

“And why don’t you go yourself, Jungkook?” Jaera retorted.

Jimin suddenly stood up. “Guys, stop!” he yelled. “I... I actually think Hyesoon has a point,” he said. “I mean, I’ll always be willing to do anything to help you, Jungkook. So maybe we should actually give it a try.”

“I’m in,” Taehyung added.

“Great!” Hyesoon cheered.

Jungkook and Jaera shared the same look of disbelief. Jaera knew they were just trying to help, but it was like they suddenly assumed they had control over their lives.

“We’ll have to rally up come ideas to come up with the best solution,” Hyesoon said to Jimin and Taehyung. “If you guys have any thoughts, we should discuss it as soon as possible. I mean – “

“Woah, just wait a minute,” Jaera said, raising her hands in defense. “Don’t you think you should ask us if we’re alright with this first? You can’t just jump to the conclusion that we’ll do whatever you guys want.”

“For once in my life, I agree with Jaera,” Jungkook said. “Don’t we have a choice in this?”

“Well... yeah. I guess you do,” Hyesoon agreed. “Do you not want us to help?”

“No, that’s not it, Hye. We’d just like it if we could have a say in these things, too.”

Jungkook hummed in agreement.

“Of course you guys have a say. We’re going to work together,” she emphasized. “And don’t worry, it’ll be fun! It’ll be like the movies. You know the action ones where in the end, the two rivals decide to stop fighting and work together instead to achieve something bigger than them. Well, you guys are the main characters and we’re like... your back up.”

“That sounds cool,” Taehyung said. “Can I be the goofy yet adorable sidekick that gets the girl in the end?”

“No!” Jungkook and Jaera shouted at the same time.

“Seriously though,” Jimin said. “This isn’t a game. We have to be real about this. A lot is at stake right now for both of them. So why don’t we all just it up and figure it out.”

Jaera sighed. “Fine.”

“Jungkook?”

Jungkook rolled his eyes and nodded reluctantly.

“Okay,” Hyesoon said, folding her arms. “Everybody take a seat.”

They all obediently did so and seeing as there wasn’t a spare armchair available, Hyesoon sat on the floor. She looked pretty proud of herself watching everybody follow her instructions.

“First assignment...”

“What is this, an FBI mission or something?”

“First assignment,” Hyesoon reiterated, ignoring Jaera. “You two have to hold a civilized conversation for one minute. No cursing, no insults. Just clean, friendly small talk. Okay?”

Jaera grunted and took a glimpse at the boy, who immediately sighed.

“Time starts now.”

The rest of the room fell silent, apart from Miyoung’s occasional giggling. Everyone was staring in anticipation, wondering if it was even possible for them to act nicely. Jaera herself was doubting that it was doable, but she had to give it a shot.

She cleared the uncomfortable knot that had settled in . “So... Jungkook.”

They all held their breaths.

“Jaera.” Jungkook replied.

Taehyung was busy trying not to laugh, burying his face in the top of Miyoung’s hair. Jimin and Hyesoon just watched eagerly.

“How... was your day?” Jaera tried.

“Awesome. How was yours?”

“It was great. Did you... do anything interesting?”

It was all becoming too much for Taehyung who was silently chuckling to himself.

“Yeah,” Jungkook replied, raking a hand through his hair. “I got to look after this wonderful little girl, Miyoung. We had great fun.”

Everybody could sense the sarcasm in his voice, except for Miyoung whose face lit up when she’d heard her name. Taehyung whispered to her to be quiet when she was about to open .

“That sounds... amazing.”

“Yup...”

Jaera shook her head in disbelief, hoping the one minute was over, but Hyesoon signaled for her to keep going.

“So what’s your favorite food?”

Taehyung snorted, earning a quick glare from Hyesoon.

Jungkook rolled his eyes. “You already know it’s pizza.”

“Well, maybe I forgot, dumb ”

A collective sigh travelled through the room.

“I’m not a ing dumb , you stupid b – “

“Time’s up!” Hyesoon shouted, jumping to her feet.

“Thank God, I don’t know how anybody could stand to talk to this moron for more than two seconds,” Jaera mumbled.

“Oh, shut the up, Jaera.”

“You shut the up, Jungkook!”

Jimin face palmed and looked over at Hyesoon, who was busy trying not to rip her hair out in frustration. “This is going to be harder than I thought...”

***

The whole gang sat there for another half an hour trying to get Jaera and Jungkook to hold a proper conversation, but it was proving to be more unlikely as each minute passed. They were all feeling deflated and Hyesoon was starting to lose her calm and collected façade.

“Can we stop now?” Taehyung whined. “My ears hurt.”

“Yeah, this is useless,” Jimin said. “They’ll never get along. We should just give up now.”

Hyesoon sighed heavily, eyeing Jungkook and Jaera who were both avoiding each other’s gaze. She didn’t want to quit, but even she could see how hopeless they were.

“Maybe we all need some food,” she suggested. “Food always lightens the mood.”

“Haha, that rhymed.” Taehyung chuckled stupidly.

“I want ice cream!” Miyoung suddenly wailed. “Oppa promised me chocolate ice cream!”

“,” Jungkook groaned.

“We don’t have chocolate ice cream,” Jaera said. “You’ll have to eat something else.”

“NO! I WANT ICE CREAM!”

Taehyung body jerked in fright as he clutched his ears. Damn, that girl can scream. She started sobbing, refusing to stop until ice cream magically appeared in front of her.

“Jesus...” Jungkook muttered, attempting to escape from the room.

“Wait!” Hyesoon demanded. “I’ve got another idea.” An excited smile spread across her face. “Okay, Taehyung. You stay with Miyoung and try to calm her down since she seems to like you the most.”

“Yes, sir.”

Hyesoon ignored him. “Jimin. You and I are on cooking duty.”

Jimin nodded.

“Jungkook and Jaera.”

Oh, God. What is it now, Jaera thought.

“Remember how in those movies, the two enemies had to work together to defeat a higher evil? Well, today, that higher evil is Miyoung. So you two are going to go get some ice cream.”

“Nope.”

“Not happening.”

“You want Miyoung to stop crying or not?”

“Why can’t one of you guys do it?” Jaera complained.

“We already have our missions. Now, hurry up before she gets worse.”

Before they could react, Hyesoon had already shoved five dollars in Jaera’s hand and pushed them out the door. She gaped at the closed door in shock.

“This is all your fault,” Jungkook muttered, heading down the driveway.

Jaera skipped ahead to catch up with him. “How the hell is this my fault?”

“Because you invited your stupid friend who thinks she can boss me around.”

“Well, if you listened to me in the first place and not even been here, this wouldn’t have happened.”

“Shut up.”

“Gladly.”

The both of them, surprisingly, stayed silent for most of the walk. The convenient store was about three blocks away, so luckily they didn’t have to endure each other’s company for much longer. Jungkook stayed outside the store, leaving Jaera to buy the ice cream herself. In a flash, she was back outside, the ice cream safely cradled in a plastic bag and a frown on her face.

“Jeez, thanks for helping me out,” she muttered, walking ahead of him.

“What the did you want me to do? Hold your freaking hand? I’m pretty sure you’re capable of buying ice cream by yourself.”

“Well, you could’ve gone in and bought it. Why was I the one to have to do it?”

“Because she’s your cousin, idiot. Last time I checked, I’m not related to whiny, annoying little girls.”

“That’s because you are one.”

Jungkook clenched his jaw and without even thinking, he shoved Jaera to the side. He didn’t even bother to see where she’d land and continued walking without a care. He heard her yelp quietly in pain and chuckled.

“That’s what you get, .”

Jaera gasped when she felt herself fall. Jungkook’s arm had literally come out of nowhere and she couldn’t comprehend what was going on until her face was squashed up against the ground. Stray pieces of debri clung to her hair and she slowly sat up.

“!” she shouted, but she was pretty sure Jungkook was already too far away to hear her.

She glanced around. The tub of ice cream was lying on the dirt next to her and it was only then she realized she’d fallen in a shallow ditch. Orange signs were propped up around her, probably with big fat warnings on them to watch out for the said ditch.

“Great. Just great,” she mumbled.

As soon as she tried to get to her feet, a sharp pain shot through her right leg and she stumbled back to the ground. She looked down to see her foot was probably sprained, purple bruises already appearing on her ankle.

“ing ,” she growled.

Shoving her hair out of her face, she attempted to stand again only to fall back down. She tried a third time and when that failed, she felt her patience disappear completely.

“When I see that bastard...”

Feeling a little helpless, she tried dragging herself along the ground. It was going fine until she looked up to see the wall of the ditch staring back at her. She knew it would be impossible to lift herself out without being able to use her foot. And even if she could climb out, what was she gonna do after that? Crawl all the way home? She buried her face in her hands in frustration.

Time crawled by as Jaera sat there, propped against the side of the ditch. She had given up trying to figure out how to get out and the pain in her leg was getting worse. Why did Jungkook always put her in these situations? He always ended up making her feel weak and defeated some way or another.

Another stabbing sensation travelled up her leg. The throbbing had been going on for a while now, but that one was by far the most painful. She whimpered, grasping her leg and hoping the feeling would go away but it didn’t.

“!” she said, gritting her teeth.

A stifled sob escaped and Jaera knew she wouldn’t be able to hold back the tears that followed. She willed herself to stop, but the combination of pain and hopelessness was too overwhelming. She huddled in the corner of the ditch, crying silently.

Her anger and frustration started to redirect itself to Hyesoon. If she hadn’t come up with the brilliant idea of getting them to go in the first place, she wouldn’t be stuck here. Then again, if Jungkook wasn’t so freaking sensitive, she wouldn’t be stuck here. And then a final thought entered her mind.

If I wasn’t such a to him, I wouldn’t be stuck here.

***

Miyoung had calmed down a bit when Jungkook got back home. Enraged, he walked right past the living room and headed for the stairs when Hyesoon spotted him from the kitchen.

“Where’s Jaera?”

Jungkook shrugged. “She’s right behind me. Don’t get your in a twist.”

She scoffed and returned to the kitchen, while he continued to his room. He jumped on the bed and stuck his headphones in, tuning out the world around him. He couldn’t believe his luck. He thought becoming her friend wouldn’t be this hard, but even just being in the same house as her was a challenge. Like he didn’t have enough to worry about without having to deal with this as well.

How does she always manage to get on my nerves so easily?

After much searching and deliberating, Hyesoon and Jimin had managed to make some decent fried rice with what they’d found in Jaera’s cupboards and fridge. Hyesoon was quite surprised at what a great team they made. They set the table and Jimin went to call everybody to eat.

“Tae, lunch is ready. Can you go get Jungkook?”

Taehyung nodded, taking Miyoung to the dining room before making his way upstairs. He knocked on Jungkook’s door but there was no answer, so he just entered the room anyways.

“Yo, come downstairs and eat.”

Jungkook took his headphones out reluctantly. He wasn’t really that hungry but he went downstairs anyways. He had to admit the kitchen smelled good. Everybody was already digging in, except for Hyesoon who was standing in the doorway. Jungkook ignored her and sat down, grabbing himself a plate.

“Jaera’s not back yet,” Hyesoon said quietly, almost as if she was talking to herself.

Taehyung looked over at her, his mouth full of food. “I thought she was getting ice cream. Didn’t she come back with you, Jungkook?” he mumbled.

Jungkook shrugged and continued nibbling on his rice.

“I wonder what’s taking her so long,” Hyesoon wondered. She walked over to the front door and peeked out, but the street was completely empty. No sign of Jaera anywhere.

“Should we go look for her?” Jimin asked when she returned to the kitchen.

Hyesoon shook her head. “Nah, let’s eat first. I’m sure she’s fine.” She glanced over at Miyoung who was happily munching on her food. “As long as this one doesn’t get too impatient for that ice cream.”

The boys nodded and Miyoung smiled gratefully. “This is really yummy. Thank you unni, thank you oppa~”

Hyesoon grinned at the girl’s manners and dished herself a plate. “You’re welcome. Eat up and after that you can have a big plate of chocolate ice cream.”

“Yay!” Miyoung cheered, eating even faster.

But the ice cream never came. Everyone had finished eating and the dishes had long been washed and dried. They were all sitting in the living room, deciding which movie to watch but Hyesoon was starting to get worried.

“Guys, it’s been almost an hour,” she said, glancing at her watch. “Shouldn’t she be back by now?”

“Who cares?” Jungkook replied before anyone else could comment. “She’s probably just sulking at some park or something.”

Hyesoon glared at him. “So heartless. Why would she be sulking anyways?”

“We had an argument.” He shrugged his shoulders as if it was nothing important.

Jimin looked up from the DVD collection beside the TV. “What did you say that was so bad she didn’t even want to come back home?”

Jungkook sighed, wanting the subject to drop. “I didn’t say anything. Jeez, everybody needs to relax. She’s fine.”

“But what if she’s not?” Hyesoon protested. “It’s not like her to disappear for nothing. You must have been really harsh on her.”

“I wasn’t, okay! She’s just being a baby. She’ll come walking through the door any second now, so stop worrying.”

“That doesn’t make me feel any better, Jungkook.”

“Well, too bad.”

“Now I know why she hates you so much,” she stated.

“Jesus Christ,” he groaned. “You’re just as bad as her. If you’re so god damn worried, why don’t you just go look for her?”

“Why don’t you? It’s your fault she’s out there.”

“ off. I’m not running after her just because she can’t handle a little argument.”

The two were about to engage in their own argument, when Jimin jumped in. “Just go, Jungkook. The sooner you do, the faster it’ll be over.”

“What? Why the hell do I have to go?!”

“Because I said so.”

Jungkook glared at him and stood up, hurling the remote he was holding back down on the couch. Everyone jumped as he slammed the door on his way out, but Jimin just laughed.

“He’s got some serious anger problems.”

***

Jaera didn’t know how long she’d been sitting there, crying her eyes out when she heard a vaguely familiar voice in the distance.

“Jaera?!”

She looked up in confusion and the voice was getting louder.

“Jaera, where the are you?”

“Down here,” she croaked, trying to push past the lump in . She looked up and a mixture of resentment and relief swept over her when she saw Jungkook’s face. He gulped when he saw the residue of tears on her cheeks. He didn’t realize he’d pushed her that hard and a tinge of guilt rose inside him.

“What the hell are you doing here?” she muttered, looking away from him.

It took him a while to process her question. He quickly jumped down into the ditch, only for Jaera to scoot further away from him.

He rolled his eyes. “Your psycho best friend forced me to look for you. I didn’t come here willingly.”

“That’s good to know,” she said sarcastically. “Why didn’t she just come herself?”

“Why don’t you ask her that?”

She scoffed. “Well, . I would if I could ing move but seeing as I can’t, I’m asking you, dumb .”

He was about to insult her until she hissed in pain and clutched her leg. Pain was written all over her face, not to mention the throbbing bruises lining her ankle. He could sense the internal battle that was bound to happen inside his head. Help her get home or leave her here? Put his pride aside or his concern for Jaera? Taking another step closer, he was starting to regret his decision but it was too late. His hand was already outreached and she had already witnessed this break in his arrogance.

“What are you doing?” she asked, a slight frown on her face. She was still trying to hide the fact that she was in pain.

“What does it look like? Just grab my hand before I change my mind.”

She hesitated for a second, but seeing no other choice she let him pull her up to her feet. The sudden pressure on her ankle disrupted her balance, but Jungkook was able to catch her in time for her to fall. He wrapped his arms around her waist and held her steady.

She couldn’t deny how awkward the situation was. She tried to concentrate on getting out of the ditch instead of the way Jungkook was holding her like he actually cared. She didn’t know if it was a good idea to put her trust in him but she would soon find out, wouldn’t she?

He carefully lifted her out of the ditch, setting her down on the grass just at the edge of the dip. She wasn’t surprised at his strength on account of all the times they’d fought, but what did surprise her was the way he had done it. He didn’t just yank her out and dump her there like she was expecting. He was gentle and cautious about it.

Jungkook noticed her stunned expression as he climbed out himself. “What?”

“Nothing,” she said, trying to maintain a frown. “What now? How am I supposed to walk back?”

“The would I know?” he said angrily.

Jungkook caught the brief flicker of panic that flashed through her eyes and that’s when he realized how vulnerable she actually looked. He hated this. He absolutely hated it when she did that. The way she could look so lost and defenseless without even knowing it. He sighed and knelt beside her.

She leaned back slightly. “What are you doing?” she asked, the concern thick in her voice.

“Just... stay still.”

Jaera almost screamed when she felt herself being lifted from the safety of the ground. Jungkook had swiftly hooked his arms under her knees and back, heaving her up in one fluid movement.

“Put me down!” she shrieked, clutching to his neck instinctively.

“Oh my God. Just calm down,” he muttered as he started walking.

She noticed the way he didn’t seem to care about the fact he was carrying her like freaking married couples do. What the hell is wrong with him?

The truth was, Jungkook really didn’t care. In his view, this was anything but romantic. He just didn’t want to have to deal with everybody yelling at him if he left her there, and if it stopped Jaera from complaining about being in pain, then carrying her home wasn’t a big deal.

After a few minutes of protesting and threatening to hit him, Jaera eventually relaxed. She couldn’t deny how fast her heart was going but it was mostly because of how embarrassed she was. It made her feel uncomfortable to be in this situation with her worst enemy.

Jungkook shifted her in his arms a bit to make it easier to carry her. She thought it would’ve been hard for him, assuming that she was heavy, but he didn’t seem to look affected at all. He kept his eyes focused forward and they didn’t speak for the rest of the walk. It was obvious how relieved she was when she finally caught sight of her house. He scaled the front porch with ease before coming to a stop outside the front door.

“Um...” He glanced at Jaera, kind of surprised to see how close she was. “Do you think I can put you down now?”

Slightly dazed, she nodded. He lowered her onto her feet, making sure to keep one arm around her to keep her steady. He quickly knocked on the door, wanting more than anything for somebody else to deal with her. Only a second had passed when Hyesoon opened the door, a slightly panicked expression on her face.

“Oh my God!” she exclaimed. “What happened?”

“I fell in a ditch,” she grunted, hopping away from Jungkook and towards the living room. “It was so stupid, but don’t worry, I’m fine.”

Hyesoon rushed to her side to help her sit down while Jungkook stood in the doorway, confused. Why was she acting like all of this wasn’t his fault? He was the one that pushed her into the ditch but here she was calling herself stupid for falling in it. The guilt inside him multiplied but he was able to ignore it.

“Wait, so how’d you get back if you can’t walk?”

Jaera’s face immediately turned red and Hyesoon noticed the way she was avoiding Jungkook’s gaze.

“What? Did he carry you home or something?” she laughed, intending for it to be a joke but she soon figured out that she had hit the nail on the head.

“Oh my... Wow... Wasn’t expecting that,” she mumbled to herself. “At least you’re okay now.” She decided to change the subject and propped Jaera’s leg up on a cushion. “We’ll need to do something about your ankle, though. Let me go get some ice.”

Hyesoon left the room, temporarily leaving Jungkook and Jaera alone. She stared at her ankle in an attempt to avoid looking at him but with his unusual silence she couldn’t help but take a glimpse. He was just standing there, that familiar, unreadable expression on his face. Sometimes she felt like that look meant he was trying to communicate with his eyes or something, but unfortunately Jaera wasn’t a mind reader so she always found it annoying. Hyesoon re-entered the room, interrupting their stare-off which Jaera was grateful for. Jungkook immediately made a move to leave the room until Jaera called him back.

She cleared and it felt like she was literally swallowing her pride. “Thank you.”

Jungkook stopped by the door, not looking back. They waited for him to reply but after a few seconds of silence he just continued upstairs. 

Jaera didn’t care though. He didn’t have to say anything. He had done enough today.

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