Love On Fire

Chapter 24 Bomb

Friday afternoon, Blackpink was rehearsing their song Playing With Fire in the confines of their studio.

Chaeyoung was singing with extra effort, too much that it was taking her friends some difficulty to keep up with her.

They finished the song in a bad key.

"What's with you today?" Jisoo asked twirling the ends of Rose's newly dyed dark brown hair.

"Nothing unnie. It's just...it's Jimin..." Chaeyoung said as she pulled her phone from her pocket.

"He's not answering my texts. He's been like this...since...that night." Rosé gave Jisoo an apologetic smile because she still couldn't forget how Jisoo treated them like stubborn puppies the morning after their boyfriends dropped them off at the Kim's house. They got hit a plenty by anything she got her hands on. She was very shocked to find Jisoo mad at them and their boyfriends were even on her side.

"Tch. Don't ever drink alcohol if you can't handle it. Poor guy must've suffered enough." Jisoo snapped remembering the memory, and paid attention to Lisa who was also on her phone. 

"I assume you're back again with the alien." Jisoo beamed at Lisa who was still busy with her phone. She was now giggling non-stop and was even blushing.

"Ya! I'm talking to you!" 

"Ow! Unnie, that hurt!" Lisa groaned massaging her head where the pillow made a hit.

"Keep in mind that even though I'm okay with you guys dating doesn't mean that I'm fine being ignored like this! I expect you to live by my rules if you're going to stay under my roof. I'm responsible for your livelihood in this country and if anyone of you got in trouble, or worse, pregnant then what should I tell your parents huh?"

"Pregnant.." Jennie suddenly whispered, her fingers touching her lips staring into nothing.

"Why would we be pregnant?" Lisa thought out loud.

"I think unnie is talking about base 5 Lisa." Rosé commented answering Lisa.

"Base 5?"

"Come on you know this, you're pre-med."

"Oh, that base 5." Lisa laughed. "I don't think it's in my personality to do that deed." She added feeling awkward about the topic.

"Base 5? Aren't there only 4 bases?" -Jisoo's thoughts.

Jisoo kept shaking her head at how childish her friends talk about ing. She just gave up giving litanies on the two and faced Jennie whom she found catatonic standing by the guitars.

"Are you alright Jen?" Jisoo asked concerned.

Jennie's head was far from reality so she kept on staring at a blank space.

"Hey Jennie Kim!"

Jennie flinched and she finally saw Jisoo. "U-unnie..."

"What's your name child?" Jisoo was back again with the insanity check questions.

Jennie frowned making Jisoo roll her eyes.

"Why don't we take a break. Let's just see each other at the gig this evening." Jisoo sighed and picked her bag on the couch.

"I'm going first. I'm going to see Oppa at dance practice today. Surely he'll be there." Rosé affirmed and fixed her things.

"Fine. I'll go back at home and check if my brother left the house unlocked again. You coming Jen-shooked?"

"Haha Jen-shooked!" - Lisa.

"Y-yeah." Jennie answered knocking some stuff down as she walk her way to Jisoo.

"Aigoo~" Jisoo made a face at the mess Jen made.

"It's fine. I'll pick it up." Lisa volunteered.

"Are you just going to stay here?" Jisoo eyed Lisa and the maknae nodded quickly.

"I'll skip Hobi oppa's dance class for now..." Lisa said not meeting Rosé's eyes.

"Whatever. Bye girls." - Rosé.

"Okay then. See you." Jisoo bid her goodbye and went out with Jennie.

"Okay. They're gone." Lisa peeked through the closed door.

After saying that, Taehyung came out from the producer's studio and went for his girl's mouth.

Lisa's eyes were wide open at the sudden attack. But after a while when he started kissing her gently and teasingly, she started kissing him back.

Their kisses started to get passionate as their feelings grow heady.

Ever since that night at the bar, Lisa thought her boyfriend became more affectionate than usual. He was more touchy and he just kisses her whenever he gets the chance to have her alone.

Not that she mind. But what's bothering her is her feelings every time he touches her.

It was moments like this when his kisses were getting aggressive and his hold on her gets too tight that she felt compelled to submit to him. She was drowning to him even deeper that she thought her heart would experience abnormal palpitations if she wouldn't stop.

His hands were hot under her shirt now that it made her eyes snap open once she felt him on her stomach.

When she realized what was happening, she pushed him with all her strength and punched him lightly on the chest.

He pulled her back tightly even before she can pull away.

"Ey,ey, that's a part of your punishment, remember." Taehyung said grabbing her hands and pecked her nose.

"!" Lisa pouted feeling her cheeks heat up.

"That's what you get for making me miss you." He sang and kissed her forehead. "I'm still charging you for what you did that night. No more parties for you princess." Taehyung accused recalling what Rosé told him about Lisa and the stripper. 

"Hmp. I'll do whatever I want and I don't need your permission." She snapped taking his arms off her waist.

"Lisa, don't be stubborn." Tae warned and pinched his nose bridge.

"Why? Do you see me making rules for you?"

"That's not the point..." He sighed and tried to get her inside his embrace again.

"What happened that night with the stripper was nothing I can't handle." She said entangling her hands with his. She looked him in the eye and saw that he was still not going to let her off. 

"Look, if it bothers you that much then, I wouldn't go anywhere unsupervised. There. Happy?" She negotiated.

Tae squinted his eyes at her and proposed his deal. "How about, you wouldn't go anywhere without my supervision?"

"Aish. Kim Taehyung!" She fidgeted away from him. "You're impossible."

"You can't blame me Lisa. I almost lost you." He said tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear. "I still get panic attacks every time I remember that day I made you cry."

Taehyung noticed his girlfriend turned silent and glanced at her. "Okay, I'll let you do whatever you want."

Lisa turned to him and flashed him a smile. Which eventually turned into a frown when he said...

"As long as you promise me that I'd get to do whatever I want...to you. I mean with you. Deal?"

Lisa looked at him quizzically and smirked.

"Whatever."

Tae bit his lip and suppressed a giggle. He walked to her and held her waist.

"Whatever?" He asked cutely.

"I hate you." She turned to him and reached for his lips.

Meanwhile at Namjoon's penthouse, he and his friends were busy watching videos Suga and V retrieved from Nayeon's desktop. Him, Suga and Jin were eating a bowl of popcorn while studying the clips in front of them.

While doing their jobs, Jin voiced out a dilemma of his since the announcement of the winter ball.

"Do you guys have any idea where I could get a date for this Sunday's ball?"

Suga and Namjoon both looked at him and shook their heads in sync.

"Great. Thanks a bunch." Jin sighed.

"Have you ever met a person

Who at first glance

You weren't attracted to

But then they talk

And with every word

Every smile

And every laugh

They become more beautiful

Until you can't believe

There was a moment

You didn't think they were?..."

Jungkook have read the quote 20 times while waiting for Mingyu to arrive. He was at a café somewhere in Myeongdong and he just got off from Taekwondo class.

It was weird what happened earlier. He couldn't seem to get over the fact that he had finally beaten Seo in a match. But besides that, there was also something else. She said something mind-shattering that made his insides swirl like crazy. This feeling was new to him and he needed a second opinion.

"Nice job, Jungkookah!"

JK heard his instructor cheered for him but he couldn't seem to care. What matters right now is the girl pinned under him.

He and Seo were in their Taekwondo class - the one that Hobi arranged as punishment for them when they were caught smoking in the veranda.

In all honesty, he wasn't in the mood to fight today. So he's surprised that he won the match. He dismissed the idea that Seo let him win. He didn't want to think about his ego right now.

He's so frustrated about her and he wanted to know why the hell he couldn't get her out of his mind. It's so unfair that he's feeling this way while the girl who cause this to happen couldn't even look at him.

"C-can you get off me now." Seo muttered avoiding Jungkook's eyes. "Please."

Jungkook pursed his lip and said...

"Why can't you look at me Seo-yah?"

"It's because your face is too close you idiot!"

"Tch. We were in the same situation a month ago but you didn't complain. I don't see why it's different now. What's wrong with you girls and you always make simple things so complicated." He said without a hint of humor, his eyes still fixed on the girl.

Seo was agitated by this and she flipped him over causing them to reverse their positions.

Poor Jungkook he thought he has grown mute in too much shock.

"Class is dismissed! You two change and get dressed before the next class arrives." Teacher said but was ignored by the two.

"Listen here pal, I think we've come too far to end things in a physical battle...and Congratulations you won! Whooptidoo!"She cheered sarcastically. "So let's not result to fighting each other mentally and emotionally anymore, okay. Let's just stay out of each other's way from now on and continue with our normal lives without getting someone in trouble. Agreed?" She said and got up.

Jungkook didn't let her go and caught her arm.

"Why? What changed? I thought we were friends Seo. If you're mad at me then just say so. You in like this is driving me crazy!" He almost yelled.

"We're not friends and I don't want to be!" She retorted wiping her forehead to ease her emotions.

He was a bit hurt hearing that.

"You're so dense!" She noticed his reaction but shook off his hand and attempted to walk out from him but he caught up.

"Even so, at least tell me what's wrong!" He demanded and held both her sides.

On the other hand, Seo was at her limit.

"What's wrong Seo?" He repeated saying the words calmly this time. "Was it something I said? Did I do something wrong? I-if it's your instagram accou-"

"It's me okay! I hate myself for liking you!" She shouted. The truth finally setting her free.

On the other hand, what she said caused Jungkook as if he got paralyzed.

Her words echoed in his world like a bomb.

"Now, do you understand why I have to stay away from you? Do you know how it feels like to be looked down upon? To be told that a nobody like me shouldn't even dream of being loved by someone like you. You don't. Because you've never sacrificed yourself for someone."

The boy was still heavily shooked.

Seo can feel the tears hot behind her eyes but she recovered and composed her emotions. She strongly believed that she and him don't have a chance.

"I...I..." Jungkook couldn't form a sentence. 

Both of them stepped away from each other when they heard the door open. The students from the next Taekwondo class started to arrive. 

And before he knew it, his feelings for her was confirmed. But she was already gone.

Jungkook's attention was still on the frame when Mingyu pulled the chair in front of him.

"Ya, Jeon Jungkook!" 

Jungkook snapped out of his reverie when Mingyu knocked on his head.

"YA!" 

"You're spacing out bro."

He glared and jabbed at Mingyu as he tried to ease his anger.

"So, why'd you call for a meetup?-Ah, no wait. Don't answer that. I'm guessing....there's another prank plan? Hey can I be Frankie this time I-"

"It's not that. It's because of some girl." JK snapped drinking his glass of juice the waitress just placed on the table.

"A girl! Wow, and I thought you're too naïve to take girls seriously." Mingyu laughed. "So, who's the lucky girl?"

Jungkook gave him a lazy stare before answering his question.

"It's Seo."

"Nice! Woah, wait...you don't mean-"

"You heard me right pal." JK said almost as if reading his friend's thoughts.

"You're actually- you - ahahaha. You're dead. I usually don't give advices but, run man. Run as fast as you can. " Mingyu's face shifted from bubbly to dead serious.

Jungkook furrowed his brows confused about Mingyu's reaction.

"It's cute that you've finally discovered your feelings towards girls but dude, are you forgetting that the girl you're crushing on is your brother's favorite cousin right? Are you even aware of the guy rules?"

Mingyu's question confused Jungkook even more.

"S-so, I'm just crushing on her? This isn't like that love thing right?" Jungkook pressed ignoring the important questions hoping his friend could help his little dilemma.

Mingyu looked at his friend and slumped his back on the chair. He shook his head at how helpless Jungkook is when it comes to girls.

"Bro...don't panic."

Jungkook's face broke into a grimace. It looked like he got more worried at Mingyu's words.

"I'm going to ask you some questions and you need to be completely honest with me." - Mingyu.

Jungkook gulped.

Mingyu looked at his wrist watch before turning to Jungkook.

"Okay..." Mingyu sighed and continued. "When going to sleep, do you think about her before or after?"

"Does it make a difference?"

"Just answer the question."

"Um...both?" Jungkook muttered slowly. When he looked at Mingyu, the guy's jaw was hanging open.

"W-why? Is that weird? Am I a creep now?" - Jungkook.

Mingyu bit back a smile and said, "Chill okay, you're doing great. I'm not going to judge you...okay, let's continue."

"Next, are you the type of person who genuinely cares but don't show it? If you are, then are there instances where you found yourself wanting to show her that you care?"

"Y-yes."

"Do you stalk her in social media?"

"Uh..."

"Did you go as far as following her where she's going?"

"Um...I did but, I was only concern-"

"DUDE!" Mingyu slapped the table in excitement.

"Ya! Keep it down will you!" Jungkook scolded and bowed his head at the other customers inside the café.

"You, my friend, have gone into the crazy."

Jungkook grabbed a handful of his hair and pulled it out in frustration. "So what? Am I just crushing on her or-"

"You have gone into the crazy kind of love land. Be ready because it's only just the beginning." Mingyu confirmed scaring the clueless Jungkook.

"W-what should I do? I just made her mad earlier..."

Jungkook have always like things which are predictable. He liked the things he has controlled over so when he's faced with problems like girls - especially one with an untamed nature - his defense crumbles and he becomes vulnerable.

"I would love to stay and chat some more but, my girlfriend's here. And I wouldn't want to keep her waiting." Mingyu excused himself and waved at the cute girl outside the window glass.

"You have a girlfriend?" - Jungkook.

"Bro, if you really are the golden maknae, you'd handle this problem of yours face on. Oh, and be prepared for the consequences. Just a tip, get Hobi hyung something expensive. Maybe that'll distract him for awhile. See you man!" That and Mingyu took off.

Jungkook groaned and looked at his phone. He stared at one contact number before finally pressing the call button.

After four rings, Jennie picked up.

"To what honor do I owe this phone call of yours, your royal highness?" Jennie said sarcastically on the other line.

"Noona, I need your help."