chapter 7 : beef

 

the world really is a small place.

jeongyeon wasn't really rude but the situation is pushing her to be. she wanted to tell her dad to leave, but her manners were getting on the way.

they are currently sharing a table with sooyoung's family. their parents knew each other so it wasn't really awkward.

the family heads started to talk about the food business. yep, sooyoung and jeongyeon's dad are from the same line of work. sooyoung and jimin's father is the president of the third best food company of the country. they own fifty franchises across asia. jeongyeon's dad works at a rising food company as a director who strikes a deal with foreign investors.

sooyoung was talking to sungyeon since jeongyeon doesn't seem like to talk today. she smirked when she noticed how jeongyeon's avoiding her brother's gaze. she chuckled.

jeongyeon raised a brow and looked at her. sooyoung raised a 'peace' sign with her fingers. sooyoung continued talking to sungyeon.

she shook her head and her eyes accidentally flew to jimin who, apparently, is smirking at her.

she wanted to take her eyes off of jimin but his eyes were really like the black hole! it's pulling you to be lost in it.

jimjn sipped on his mango milkshake, eyes still on the girl infront of her.

jeongyeon gulped when she watched jimin's lips sipping from the straw. quickly, she avoided his gaze and fished her phone in her sling bag.

she sighed when she saw a message.

finally! i won't be torturing myself here while waiting for the tour to get started.

nayeon:

how's the trip?

jeongyeon sipped on her drink as she typed her reply.

jeongyeon:

fine. we met sooyoung and her family.

nayeon:

omg!

jeongyeon rolled her eyes. she can saw the three dots waving. nayeon is gonna flood her, that's for sure.

nayeon:

why don't u ask him abt yesterday?

nayeon:

ooh, that'd be awkward since u're not the type to open up first

nayeon:

but, why don't u give it a try?

nayeon:

who knows? maybe he woke up on the right side of the bed today...

jeongyeon:

i woke up on the wrong side of the bed. sns :p

she chuckled when she saw nayeon's gif reply. she closed her phone and looked at her dad who's busy laughing to a joke.

"are you staying here or are you going to stroll around seogwipo?" she heard jimin's mom asked her mom.

"oh, yes!" jeongyeon's mom chuckled. "we're going to visit the botanical garden and chocolate land later. how 'bout you?"

"what a coincidence! we're also going there!"

jeongyeon's eyes widened right at that moment.

okay, destiny... or fate or whatever you are! stop playing games to me!

but... why am i evem avoiding him? this is really freaking weird! his effect on me increased tenfold... no! hundred-fold, even!

i shouldn't, right? okay. calm down, yoo jeongyeon. it's just park jimin. park jimin, the arrogant one.

she rested her back on the comforts of her seat and closed her eyes. after counting from one to twenty, she opened her eyes again and puffed a sigh.

"what's with the long face?" jimin asked her.

puzzled, she looked at him. she arched a brow and scanned at the table. everyone was busy but she was hoping that she's not the one he's talking to.

"yes, you. i'm talking to you." jimin voiced out, amusement visible on his tone.

jeongyeon stared at him.

am i hearing it right? why does he sound amused?

she snapped when jimin chuckled. jeongyeon felt her cheeks blushed. this just feels like yesterday.

"none of your business," jeongyeon rolled her eyes. she wanted to applaud herself for not stuttering.

so good so far!

"now you're back to the feisty jeongyeon i know," jimin muttered, enough for the two of them to hear. "i think i like the shy version of you."

"neither of those versions of me will like you," she deadpanned.

"aww," he chuckled and brushed his hair with the back of his palm. jeongyeon gulped at the sight of it.

"i think that's our suv," when jeongyeon heard her dad, she immediately turned her head and didn't bother to reply to jimin.

jeongyeon stood up before anyone could. her mom looked at her.

"restroom," she mumbled with a small smile and started walking.

"jeongyeon!" sooyoung followed her.

"sooyoung," jeongyeon glanced at her before she continued to walk.

"hmm," sooyoung grinned maliciously as they enter the restroom. "i smell something fishy between two people."

"i don't know what you're talking about," jeongyeon ignored her as she washed her hands.

sooyoung leaned on granite sink, watching her friend with hawk-like eyes and a grin. "did something happen yesterday? jimin went home happy yesterday."

"yes, we did our project yesterday. it happened yesterday." she said nonchalantly although her insides were burning. she mentally noted to think why jimin is happy yesterday.

"hmm," sooyoung smirked and faced the mirror to fix her lipstick.

"why didn't you ask him? he's your brother, after all." jeongyeon unconsciously mumbled. she remembered the things jimin asked her yesterday. "he went somewhere else after leaving our house."

maybe jimin went to the girl he's courting? slowly, she started to put the pieces of the puzzle together.

"maybe he went to a bar to meet someone else," jeongyeon mindlessly added.

sooyoung chuckled after fixing her lipstick. "is that jealousy i am sensing?"

"w-what are you talking about?" after digesting sooyoung's words, she blushed profusely and mentally slapped herself. "i'm not jealous! i'm just merely stating my speculations!"

"aren't you being defensive my friend?" sooyoung maliciously asked as she placed her lipstick back in her bag.

jeongyeon groaned, the two walked out of the bathroom. "i hate being this awkward with that-- piece of--" she growled and pulled her hair. "-- your brother."

"why, though?" sooyoung raised a brow as they took a turn to the lobby. "he seems fine. i'm observing you two awhile ago."

"what?"

"it's just fascinating to see some girl ignoring my brother," sooyoung chortled, she tucked some strands of her hair behind her ear. "considering his nature with girls."

"i am ignoring him because i hate how my mind is producing unbelievable imaginations," jeongyeon sighed.

she was about to add something when she saw jimin standing beside the counter, effortlessly looking handsome. jeongyeon's face turned sour with the mention of the adjective.

but, how can he be so handsome by just standing there?

he's sporting a white short-sleeved dress shirt, a denim shorts, and a leather sandals. he's also wearing a wayfarers, for pete's sake! it wasn't even that hot yet!

sooyoung stopped on her tracks when she didn't feel jeongyeon's presence beside her. she turned around and saw her friend looking at something. she followed her line of vision and smirked.

someone is attracted to someone, hmm.

she wanted to burst into laughters, but being the good friend that she is, she immediately called her friend before her brother could even see it.

she cleared and pretended that nothing happened.

"jeongyeon! come on! they're waiting for us." sooyoung hurriedly said. she grabbed jeongyeon's hand and that's when the latter came back to her senses.

"w-what?"

"oh!" sooyoung pretended seeing her brother. "he must be waiting for us, let's go!"

"oh, r-right!" jeongyeon agreed, slightly fanning herself. her eyes widened when sooyoung stopped infront of jimin who, apparently, is sporting a devilish smirk. looking like he knew that she was awfully admiring him.

admiring? what the heck?

she shook her head to clear her thoughts. she was trying hard to show a straight face, and fortunately, she did it.

"where are they?" sooyoung asked her brother. jimin started to walk, the two girls followed suit.

"outside, waiting for you." jimin plainly said. hands on his pocket.

jeongyeon was watching him from behind. she couldn't agree more, he looked like a model from behind.

this is seriously awful. i am starting to hallucinate things! my praises are so expensive yet he can afford it with just like that!

this is very bad.

"as much as i want to tease you, the time isn't allowing me." sooyoung whispered to her.

jeongyeon blushed profusely. "shut up."

sooyoung chuckled from behind and before she could walk away from jeongyeon, she used that opportunity to pinch her side.

the latter just laugh, never minding the pain before she walked to her parents.

"see you!" sooyoung said to jeongyeon when they climbed to the suv parked infront.

"bye!" sungyeon waved her hand and politely bid her farewell to sooyoung's parents.

jeongyeon did the same. she gave jimin a small fake smile.

--

the tour was overall fun and relaxing.

after acting like carl linnaeus in the botanical garden and buying lots of chocolates in the chocolate land, jeongyeon and her family is now on appreciating the pristine blue waters of the jeju island.

gulping down the last of her favorite root beer, she strolled inside the yacht to get a new one.

when she stepped inside the cabin, her nose immediately recognize the beautiful smell of ramen. she saw her mom cooking some while her father is preparing the sashimi. her tummy growled at the sight and smell.

"where's sungyeon?" she asked as she went to the refrigerator to get a new can of root beer.

"sleeping," her mom answered and mouthed the couch. she turned her head and saw her sister peacefully sleeping.

she yawned at the sight, and decided to also take a nap first.

jeongyeon woke by a light tap on her face.

"come on, let's eat," sungyeon lazily said while brushing her eyes. seems like she just also woke up.

"you can rest again later at the hotel, darlings," their dad said when she saw her daughters' morning face approaching the table he set up.

they nodded and sat on their respective seats. when they saw the foods infront, their eyes lit up and started to dig in.

jeongyeon's phone beeped in the middle of laughing. cellphones are prohibited if they're eating, so she turned her phone off under the table and continued laughing.

"this is so nice!" jeongyeon shouted as the yacht started to go back. her hands on the steel railings.

"yeah, too bad. you have classes tomorrow." her sister teased beside her, back's leaning on the railings.

"thanks for reminding," jeongyeon chuckled and rolled her eyes.

after laughing, the two were silent. jeongyeon's watching the small island disappearing, and sungyeon staring at her drink.

"jeongyeon..."

jeongyeon turned her head and looked at her sister. "why?"

"if something's bothering you, don't get it bottled up." sungyeon sincerely said, her eyes still on her drink. "i'm always here. you can always share to me."

she smiled to her younger sister. jeongyeon blankly look at her.

jeongyeon sighed. quickly, her face contorted into thousands of emotions. this whole jimin thing is really tiring.

"it's not really something," jeongyeon started.

sungyeon raised a brow. "huh?"

"it's actually, someone..." jeongyeon shut her eyes off. knowing her sister, she'd laugh her of if she knew that her younger sister is starting to have a crush on someone.

wait, what? did i really say that? really, jeongyeon? crush? on your freaking twenty two years of existence?

"so..." sungyeon chuckled softly. "who's the lucky guy?"

"please don't get too ahead," jeongyeon puffed a sigh. "i'm still on the process of thinking if i really like him."

"don't stress yourself over this kind of matter," sungyeon mumbled. "i know you have so many on your plate right now. school, career, and future things, focus on these things first. put yourself first, then think of a partner next."

"i see why you're still single," jeongyeon muttered after digesting her sister's words.

"that's kind of a different reply, huh," sungyeon fakely coughed. "i thought you're gonna compliment my goal minded advice!"

"oh, right," jeongyeon chuckled. "that's a nice advice, though." she sarcastically said.

"what?" sungyeon scoffed.

"i'm thinking of how i can get him off of my mind..." jeongyeon said in a small voice. she groaned when she saw her sister pursing her lips, trying to stop smiling. "forget it! i'll give it a week and i'm sure, i'll completely forget about it."

sungyeon chuckled at her sister's positivity. she was about open to say something but stopped when she saw that the yacht already stopped on the dock.

jeongyeon grabbed her sling bag and went to her parents who's thanking the captain who drove the yacht.

after all of those, they went down and rode the suv of the hotel.

jeongyeon settled herself on her seat and watched the night sky. it was a lot different than seoul. 

it was more relaxing.

"i know so many ways on how you can get him off of your mind," sungyeon whispered to her sister's, careful to not make any noise to woke up their parents. "it worked on me."

"really?" jeongyeon lazily asked.

"well, not really. but there's no harm in trying, right?" sungyeon cheered her sister up.

jeongyeon sighed and turned her head to listen to her sister's list on how to avoid someone.

-

"i'm going out," jeongyeon informed her sister who's eyes were glued to the television. she's busy watching her favorite series.

"'kay," sungyeon nodded and stuffed with tangerines.

wearing a shirt and denim shorts inside a hoodie, she went down to enjoy the peaceful hotel.

after the strolling around seogwipo, they ate their dinner with the jimin's family, just like what they've planned.

she was very much thankful because sooyoung talked to her the whole time. sungyeon engaged in the business talk their parents had.

as for jimin, well, jeongyeon did a great job on ignoring him.

so here she is, enjoying the serene view of the pool.

she looked up at the moon and smiled. she admired its' mystery.

her phone beeped after ordering a mango drink.

her eyebrows creased when she read sooyoung's message.

sooyoung:

where are you?

it took her minutes before replying.

jeongyeon:

i'm at the pool side

she drank from her drink and settled herself on one of the lounger.

"hey!" sooyoung surprised her from behind.

"oh my gosh!" she held her heart and slapped sooyoung's shoulders.

"i'm sorry!" sooyoung said in a nervous tone. she immediately requested a glass of water to the waiter. "oh my gosh!"

thankfully, the staff were quick.

"here," sooyoung helped her drink the water. she patted her friend's back. "are you okay now?"

jeongyeon nodded and steadied her breathing. "i'm fine."

sooyoung continually patted her back, and after minutes, her breathing became fine.

"why are you down here?" sooyoung asked after ensuring that jeongyeon's fine, she went to the adjacent lounger and sat there.

"i'm just appreciating the nice view," jeongyeon said. "it's relaxing. and it also heals my mind."

"yeah, you're right." sooyoung agreed and settled herself on her seat.

the cold night wind blew. jeongyeon hugged her knees and turned to her friend.

"let's snap a photo," sooyoung suggested and took out her phone from her jacket. after taking, she sent it to their group chat.

jeongyeon opened her phone to read the messages.

park sooyoung: chillin by the pool side

im nayeon: i am so jealous!

nayeon sent a photo of her with her plates.

jeongyeon reacted 'haha' on the picture she sent.

she heard sooyoung groaned when jennie sent a photo with hanbin. based from the picture, it looks like hanbin's at jennie's pad.

park sooyoung: pls respect the singles here

seulgi also sent a snap with yoongi, who looks pissed at the camera.

kang seulgi: :p

sooyoung pressed the angry react on seulgi's message.

jisoo also sent a photo of her bath tub full of bubbles.

kim jisoo: how r u guys

im nayeon: #platesislife

yoo jeongyeon: fine

park sooyoung: imma kill jen and seul tomorrow

kang seulgi: even if u want, you can't :p

kim jennie: it's monday tomorrow sooyoungie, good luck!

jeongyeon chuckled. jennie is not always around every mondays and thursdays. it's the day of her tutoring job.

"you'll find your man too, sooyoung. you don't have to rush." jeongyeon friend.

"yeah, well," sooyoung rose from her seat and shot jeongyeon malicious look. jeongyeon's eyes widened. "how 'bout you then?"

"nothing's going on with me," jeongyeon probed. she laughed nervously and purposedly avoided sooyoung's gaze.

"hmm," sooyoung prompted. "he asked something to me."

"what--" she closed in instant. "ugh, never mind. i don't care."

sooyoung chuckled. "are you sure?"

"hundred percent!" jeongyeon scoffed.

"okay," sooyoung said with malice. she poured some soju on the shot glass and drank it.

"anyway, i saw a nice place for a vacation trip." sooyoung said. jeongyeon was more than delighted to engage.

"really? where?" she giddily asked.

they talked about it for minutes. their topic shifted to one another, since sooyoung was such a talker.

"i'm so jealous of you, guys!" she blurted out after jeongyeon shared her plans after graduating.

"it's okay," jeongyeon comforted her. "nayeon is still with you so it's not really that saddening. what are your plans, by the way?"

"pass the boards, and apply to a decent firm." sooyoung drank again. she already ordered three bottles of soju. "after earning, i'll build my own company."

"you don't wanna help your father?" she asked. her father's company is already big, and helping it will make it grow even more.

"nah," sooyoung shook her head. she hugged her knees. "i want to start from scratch."

"that's why you took civil engineering instead of a business course," jeongyeon said to herself. her situation is just like hers.

"dad wants us to help him, but he's not depriving us from our liberty. we still help him in any way we can."

"that's good," jeongyeon nodded her head. her head snapped when she remembered something. "c-can i ask you something?"

"sure. what is it?" sooyoung yawned after answering. she glanced at her phone and it rang. it was her brother. she looked at her friend before answering. "wait a minute."

"yeah?" she yawned.

"where are you?" jimin asked on the other line.

"i'm at the pool side," sooyoung lazily answered, careful not to sound drunk.

"stop with your shenanigans down there and go up now," her brother commanded. sooyoung rolled her eyes. she handed the phone to jeongyeon.

"what?" jeongyeon whispered. sooyoung motioned her to answer it for her.

it being a nice friend, sometimes.

jeongyeon half heartedly took sooyoung's phone and rolled her eyes before putting it on her ear. 

"hello?" she said. she glared at sooyoung who's feet were in the pool.

"who's this?" her brows arched at the tone of the other line's voice. "no. uhh, whoever you are, bring my sister back here."

"i can't carry her," jeongyeon mumbled while watching sooyoung.

"did she ing slipped or what?" jimin's alarmed voice attacked her ears.

"uhh, no... she's just..." she glanced at sooyoung who went back and finished her third bottle of soju. sooyoung was about to raise her hand for the waiter, but jeongyeon quickly snatched her hand. "... drunk."

"what?!" jeongyeon shut her eyes when jimin shouted on the other line. "who the hell is this?"

"it's jeongyeon, gosh! you don't have to shout!" she shouted back at the phone. she removed the phone from her ears and settled sooyoung first.

she placed the phone back on her ear after seeing sooyoung dozing off. "hello? are you still there?"

"i'll be there in a jiffy," he said before hanging up.

jeongyeon placed sooyoung's phone on the pocket of her hoodie. she lightly tapped her face.

"sooyoung," she called. she growled when sooyoung groaned.

. she's asleep.

"please, you need to be awake!" jeongyeon begged as she tap her. sooyoung continued to groan and would slap her hand whenever she shakes her body.

jeongyeon want sooyoung to be awake so that she won't have to talk to her brother.

as always, destiny is at it again.

she was already losing hope, she pulled her hair and sulkily sat back to the lounger she occupied awhile ago.

"jeongyeon?" jimin popped out of nowhere.

"oh," jeongyeon stood up and went to sooyoung. she lightly tapped her cheeks. "sooyoung, wake up."

sooyoung only groaned. jimin rolled his eyes. his sister was a heavy sleeper.

"don't waste your energy waking her up," jimin mumbled and scooted sooyoung to carry her.

jeongyeon catched sooyoung's phone when it almost fell. she followed jimin on the way to the elevator.

"did you also drink?" jimin asked after jeongyeon pressed the elevator button.

"no, i don't drink." jeongyeon answered, avoiding his gaze.

"i know you hate me but it won't hurt to look at me," jimin playfully said, sides of his lips rose.

"what?" jeongyeon arched her brow. she was digesting jimin's words when the elevator opened.

jimin smirked and entered inside.

"20th," he said when jeongyeon tried to turn her head after pressing her floor number. she went to the other side of the elevator. "thanks."

jeongyeon was looking at her reflection on the elevator's mirror. she saw jimin closed his eyes and leaned on the wall.

"it's a good thing you didn't drink," jeongyeon arched a brow when jimin said something randomly. "i can't carry you both at the same time, nor i can leave one of you alone there."

"alcohols are bad for me," jeongyeon simply said.

why is this elevator so slow?

jimin smiled at that and they were silent again.

"are you sleepy?" jimin asked when he saw that they were already approaching her floor.

"why?" jeongyeon quickly asked.

"can you uh... help me drop sooyoung off to her room?" jimin carefully asked. he could really use a help right now.

"huh?" jeongyeon looked at his face, but immediately moved her gaze to her friend. "oh... okay."

jeongyeon closed the elevator door when it opened on the 17th. she leaned on the elevator wall.

"don't worry. i'll drop you off at your room too." jimin prompted.

"what?" jeongyeon's eyes widened, she waved her hands. "oh, no! it's really okay. y-you don't have to--"

"i asked you a little favor, and this is ny way of saying thanks," jimin smiled.

"i-i can handle myself!" jeongyeon immediately said but the elevator already opened.

jimin got out and jeongyeon followed him. they stopped infront of room 204.

"she has her own room?" jeongyeon asked.

"yeah," jimin nodded. he rolled his eyes when he remembered something. the keycard. "can you fish for her keycard?" he looked at jeongyeon.

jeongyeon didn't answer him and instead do what he asks. because if she answered, she might say something again.

less talk, less mistake.

she got the keycard on the back pocket of sooyoung's shorts. she opened the door and let jimin go inside first.

"thanks," jimin breathily said.

jeongyeon followed him and closed the door behind.

she surveyed sooyoung's room. it was all the same except that she has a bigger room than theirs.

her eyes flew to jimin who's struggling to open the bedroom's door.

she ran to them and opened it for him.

"thanks," he said.

after tucking sooyoung in her bed, they left her room quitely.

"let's go," jimin said when they got out.

"oh, it's really okay--" she was cut off when jimin walked to the elevator door.

they were silent 'til the elevator door opened.

jeongyeon pressed the 17th floor and went to the other side again, purposely avoiding him.

"i won't bite," jimin barked a laughter. "why do i feel like you're avoiding me?" his tone changed. but jeongyeon didn't answer him.

"i want to end the beef between us," jimin muttered after seconds. "we can be friends, right?"

jeongyeon froze and her heart was beating like it's running a marathon.

no, we can't.