I thought of many things to get out of the situation that troubled me now; screaming, running, fainting. But my own darn body wouldn't move. To think after all the coffee I'd taken in, I'd be able to go sky diving, or jump through 50 hoops set on fire with hungry sharks underneath. But no, there I stood, frozen. I also couldn't help occasionally bringing my hand down to me knee, casually brushing it off or just to pull up my sock. I was in hyper awareness mode thanks to Fluffy.

 

Jungkook walked towards me until we were less than a foot apart. I couldn't make out any words apart from, "umm..." Or "I-uh.." Without my voice faltering.

 

Jungkook was the first to speak an actual sentence, "When did you start working here? I've never seen you around." 

 

I blinked my eyes, trying to come back to reality. "Y-yeah, I uh, just applied today, since I live close by.." 

 

He nodded in acknowledgement and looked around, nonchalantly. 

 

"What are you doing in the kitchen?" I asked, stepping a little closer to him and away from the dishwasher.

 

"We're regulars, so we can go in places most can't." He answered back, still focussing on the walls.

 

"Regulars. Right."

 

He chuckled at my response, sending shivers down my back and back up to my neck. "You seem upset now that you know we come here often." I nodded yes, only to receive a bigger laugh from him.

 

When his voice calmed down to a few giggles here and there, I had the chance to ask him one more thing. 

"You won't tell anyone.. About my... Bus incident.. Right? Or did you already?"

 

Jungkook looked my way and raised his right hand in the air, "I didn't tell anyone. It's not my story to share, anyways, unless you'd allow me too-" 

 

"N-no! That's okay, I'm relieved you haven't done so." I smiled, relief rushing throughout myself as I heard my handphone go off. I looked at Jungkook, which he nodded and let me check my messages.

 

I dug through my bag and picked up my phone, revealing that my Aunt was working late and finally responded to me.

 

'Sorry Soo-In, I won't be home until 9. Work has been piling up and I didn't get your message until break. -Aunt'

 

'Gives me time to cook then.' I said to myself. I replied back to her saying okay and that dinner would be ready when she came home. 

 

A few seconds later, Mark came running into the kitchen, trying to catch his breath, only to then have Jungkook's friends burst through the doors and patting his hair once more.

 

"Yah! You can't do this to me!" Mark complained, slapping the hands away.

 

"Of course we can, you have to respect your elders decisions!" Jimin exclaimed, messing up his hair once more. Mark let out a moan in frustration and looked at me, then to Jungkook. His face hardened up, but quickly returned back to frustration when his hair went ballistic once more. I didn't fail to catch Jungkook's smile towards Mark's expression either.

 

Another boy with light brown hair came up to me and said, "Sorry for the ruckus, but it's always like this, so, sorry in advance as well."

 

'Jin,' I remembered overhearing, 'His name is Jin.'

 

The others were older than Jungkook, seeing they didn't look like high schoolers. One was named Kim Soek Jin, the other Park Ji Min, one named Jung Ho Seok, another named Min Yoon Gi, and the oldest one Kim Nam Joon.

 

I nodded slowly, taking in what he said about 'always being like this'. My eyes widened to the fact that I'd be out of breath watching these boys tussle all night. Every night.

Mark must've seen my reaction, because when he finally got a breather from the five boys, he nodded to me and said, "It's 8:15, I understand you want to leave now?"

 

A wave of panic rushed over to me, but I happily nodded and bowed towards the boys, "Thank you for the first day on the job. Have a good night, everyone." 

 

As I walked out of the shop, I felt a rush of cold air touch the tip of my nose. It had always been sunny in California, so for it to be colder than the mild winter frost I had, I was very excited to see my breath through the air. But even the cold air couldn't shake my nervousness as I hurried along the sidewalks.

 

After a couple steps away from the shop, I heard someone calling after me. Turning around, I saw Fluffy running towards my direction.

 

"You know, your a fast walker." He breathed in deeply, putting his hands on his knees.

 

"What is it?" I asked, tilting my head to the side a bit. When he finally caught his breath, he looked up at me, giving me a serious face, and said, "It's dangerous for a girl to walk home at night, especially one still in her school uniform."

 

Instinctively, I reached down and tugged at my skirt. Looking around, I replied back, "There's no one here, and I always walked home by myself. It's not a big deal." He looked at me, making me avert my eyes elsewhere.

 

'Yes, it is a big deal.' I heard my inner self say.

Back in California, I never walked alone, after I was attacked by a drunk man, who apparently turned out to be my health teacher. 

 

Ironic, huh? 

 

The man had a weird relationship with me to begin with. He always picked me when I raised my hand and used me as an example in class. I was his perfect student. He'd pat my back and teach me more on subjects. 

 

But when he was drunk, his true colors rang about.

 

I remember his voice, his words, the smell of alcohol on him. I remembered the exact movements he made as he covered my mouth when I screamed and he pinned me to an alley way wall. He said he wanted to go over health with me in private. 

I managed to sedate him (if kicking him in the nuts and knocking him out with my fist counts) and call the police, but even though I took care of myself, I was mentally hurt. I was always walked home by a friend, or driven home by my friends' parents, afraid of my next encounter.

 

"You don't seem so confident."

 

I looked at him in disbelief. How did he see past my lying face? No one could do that, except Yu-Ra, but I wasn't giving my best effort at the time.

 

"I am." I lied once more, giving him a straight face.

 

He shook his head. "You're not." He countered.

 

"Who are you to say I'm not confident?"

 

"Well, I am the guy you fell on in the bus, and at school..."

 

I paused for a split second before I answered back, "We already established I was clumsy, but I can handle this one, I'm sure."

 

Jungkook leaned forward, looking into my eyes, which I tried hard to cover with my 'serious' act. "Then why do you looks so worried?"

 

My breath hitched and my voice faltered for the slightest second. I sighed, hopefully giving him the, 'whatever you say' look and went on my way, not failing to notice his footsteps behind me.

 

"What are you doing?" I questioned as he walked side by side to me.

 

"Like I said, it's not safe for you to be waking alone at night."

 

"I thought this place was pretty safe." 

 

"It is, but it's the part of Seoul where everyone's drinking, so I think you wouldn't want to stumble upon an old Ajumma or Ajushii."

 

"Fine then, follow me if you want, not my problem." I gave in, feeling a bit relieved.

 

Our walk was quiet, mostly because I wouldn't talk to him. My hand consciously fell to my knee where the wrap lay hidden. If I made it home without notice, then I could take it off and go to school without harm.

 

"Why didn't you tell me about your leg?"

 

I stopped in my tracks. "What?"

 

Jungkook turned around, "What happened to your leg?"

 

"There's nothing wrong with my leg." I lied, continuing on with my normal pace.

 

"You were limping when you brought the guys and me our drinks." He pointed out, grabbing a gentle hold on my shoulder and turning me to face him. My heart raced as I looked at his face. He was, in a respective manor, very cute and handsome. His hair was wavier than when I saw him in the morning and his casual clothes looked nice on him.

 

"I fell." I said limply. 

 

"That's all?"

 

"Well... That the sum of it all."

 

Jungkook looking at me, full of concern, and said, "Tell me all of it."

 

I sighed, looking away to the street signs, as I told him the story. 

"When you left, I kind of got into a disagreement with some students and ended up leaving. When I left I fell and tripped, scraping my leg. So, I left to the infirmary and got my knee bandaged." For some reason, my mind didn't inform him about my run in with that boy in school, but he believed it and nodded, taking it all in.

 

"You should've told me earlier." He said, looking a bit disappointed.

 

"Why?" 

 

"We're friends aren't we? I thought friends tell each other everything."

 

"I barely know you. And I can tell or not, it's not really that big of a deal." I pointed out.

 

Jungkook shook his head.

"I don't think you can run, by the way you were limping."

 

I felt my legs wobble a bit as we walked up into a hill side. Trying to shake off the fact that he was correct in everything, I replied back confidently, "I'm fine. I can take care of myself, promi-"

 

"Hey you~ young missy~" A young man said. His jacket looked wrinkly and his hair looked messy, not to mention the black eye onto his left side. Even from a good eight feet away, his stench of alcohol was strong as he wobbled his way towards us.

 

"Come over and hang out~ we have plenty of soju~" He was now less than five feet away, and his stench was making my stomach turn.

 

My brain started going off, screaming bloody murder all around. My legs faltered and tripped and fell onto the floor, scrambling to get back up. 

 

'I can deal with it. I can deal with it.' I kept saying in my head.

 

If the man came anywhere near touching me, I would've fought back, but the thought of someone attacking me again...

 

It was terrifying.

 

I didn't have much time to react when Jungkook walked up to him and held his hand up to stop the man. 

 

"Sorry, but she's underage and doesn't want to deal with a drunk."

 

The man fell to the floor on an oomph and scrambled to get back up. He glared at Jungkook, but then showed a scared expression and wobbled away.

 

When I got back to my feet, Jungkook was there giving me a hand.

 

"Are you okay?" He said, worry spreading all through his face. 

 

I managed a small nod and he let go of my hand, slowly walking ahead of me, shielding me from sight of any other drunks. Before I could register what I was doing, I held on desperately to the back of his shirt, letting him guide the way. Thankfully, Jungkook didn't say anything about it, as I gave him the instructions to my home.

 

The rest of the night was silent as it only took a few minutes to reach the house. It was a cute white house with a beautiful garden surrounding it and windows everywhere. My aunt loved the sunlight so she figured windows all around the house would do the trick. 

 

When we reached the front porch, I pulled out my key and inserted it into the lock, opening the door a few seconds later.

 

"Would you like to come in?" I asked Jungkook. 

 

He looked at me, making sure of something in his head, and finally nodded, taking off his shoes and walking in.

 

I wouldn't say our house was big, but compared to the one I had back in California, this was a step up. Back then, we had a spacious one story with a large backyard. The house was small, meaning we could hear everything and everyone, and we didn't mind at first. 

 

Until that time.

 

Jungkook looked around, slightly looking lost here and there, but quickly reframing his posture and walking back. I headed towards the kitchen, grabbing the ingredients to make soondubu jjigae for my Aunt. 

I could hear his slippers dragging on the marble floor as he made his way behind me, looking over to my shoulder.

 

"What are you doing?" He asked, leaning in closer so he could observe. 

 

"Making dinner for my Aunt." I said, focusing on the boiling soup on the stove.

 

"Who is your Aunt?" 

 

"The morning news anchor, Jung Soehyun. Have you seen her on the news? She's very popular."

 

He made a visible nod behind me and added, "I've seen her, she's pretty."

I twinge of jealousy poked at me, but I rushed it away, gripping the handle of my ladle a bit harder.

 

It took me a few seconds more to reply back, "She is."

 

When I finished making the stew, I put in the tofu, finishing the spicy soup for my Aunt. I had made enough for dinner, breakfast, lunch, and dinner again.

 

'Too much.' I thought.

 

Looking at Jungkook, who eventually left and went exploring, I pulled out a bowl and spoon, setting it on the table next to the large pot of soondubu jjigae.

 

I set out to go looking for him, seeing that he didn't return after a few minutes. I searched the halls downstairs and and in the library. I even checked the guest bedroom to see if he was resting. When there was no sign of him downstairs, I went up and into my room, giving up on his hide-and-seek, to look for a book while he found his way back.

 

When I walked into my room, I was surprised to see Jungkook there, standing in front of a wall which held a picture of my family. I gulped and felt the tips of my fingers go numb. I always stared at that picture every night before bed, wishing things went out differently. But no, wishes don't come true. That's the reality of it all.

 

"I've made too much soup," I said, catching his attention, "would you like to have any?"

 

He shook his head no, "I don't want to intrude-" he said before his stomach started growling.

 

I let out a giggle, seeing his face turn red out of embarrassment.

"You won't. It's a paycheck, we'll say, for helping me at school and now."

 

I lead him out the door and down the stairs, ending up in the dining room. We both sat down and enjoyed our hot, spicy soups, and talked about idle things.

 

"I really don't want to intrude on things," He started, "I should repay you."

 

I thought for a long moment, leaving silence between us for a few long seconds before finally replying back, "Like I said, it's a payment. I'm paying you back for walking me home and helping me in school,"

 

He nodded, still looking unconvinced. I sighed and reached out my hand across where he sat, making him stare at me. A bit of embarrassment spread throughout me as I said these next words,

"I'll make you a meals, in exchange for walking me home every night after Monster Coffee."

 

Jungkook looked a bit surprised, spilling a bit of his soup from his spoon back into his bowl. 

 

'Please don't make me explain..' I pleaded in my mind.

 

He stared at me, and then towards my hands before shaking it. His warmth was like a warm blanket over my shoulders before we let go. I was relieved that he didn't say much on the whole subject of walking me when I objected so much.

We sat in silence, focussing on our food.

 

"Why is this such a big house for two people?" Jungkook asked.

 

"My Aunt likes to have a big space, so she bought this house."

 

"But doesn't it feel lonely?"

 

I then thought about it. 

The old house i used to live in was cramped, but we were very close. This house was very large, and I realized I haven't done anything with my Aunt for the two weeks I was here.

"Maybe. But I'm sure that'll change soon."

 

After we finished eating, we cleaned the bows and spoons and covered the pot. It was around 8:54 and Jungkook needed to leave soon, so I waved him goodbye and saw him off.

 

"Don't get hurt next time without me, okay?" He said, patting my head.

 

I felt my face grow hot as I managed a small smile and nodded yes. When he left, I locked the front door and headed upstairs to my room. I observed the brown texture my walls and their accents, I looked at my queen sized bed with their white flower designed sheets, and eventually made my way to the family picture on my wall.

 

Looking at the family picture, I pleaded once more, even though I knew nothing would happen.

 

'Please rewind. Please rewind.'

 

I changed into my pjs and looked at the clock, seeing it read 9:15. Giving it a rest, I hopped into bed. 

 

I thought of a lot of things that night, surprisingly. 

 

Instead of replaying the incident in my head over and over, I suddenly drifted to the moment Jungkook stood over my shoulders, watching me cook. The warmth of him leaning on me sent butterflies throughout me. Warm. He was full of it. His face when he looked lost, and his grumbling stomach, made me laugh then and there. 

 

And for once, since I finally got here.

 

 

 

I slept peacefully.

 

 

 

------------------------•••-------------------------

 

Holy smokes! Almost 500 reads! I can't thank you enough! 

 

*thinks for a long time

Why are they here? Why are they reading my weird book?

 

But you guise support me! I even have twenty followers who aren't my cousins! 

 

*does the GG dance 

 

Gee gee gee gee baby baby baby! Gee gee gee gee-

 

 

Ahem....

 

Well I'll be uploading a chapter every week on the weekends because of school. So hope you like this chapter! It's a small interaction between Soo-In and Jungkook after school. And next chapter, will be fun, promise. 

 

Question: did you notice there were only six members there at the coffee shop? Hmmm......

 

And I didn't want to have some of the member's stage name in the book, so I took their real names. Wouldn't it be weird to read,

 

'Rap Monster looked at me with concerned eyes as he helped me back to my feet.'

 

Or 

 

' "Suga!" I yelled, throwing a towel over his head, "You're dead." '

 

Or

 

'J-hope patted my head and said, "Aish! I'm never good when girls cry! It's awkward! Every time I comfort them they attack me and cry even more!" I stifled a laugh and stared at the dumbfounded man.

"J-Hope, there's a lot more to when girls cry." '

 

Yep that sounds weird! But hopefully you guise can hold off with this chapter since it's a calm one for the balance of next chapter!

 

{Neauchia}