HIDE AND SEEK

 

It's been two days since Jungkook went AWOL from meeting with Chaeyoung and Jaehyun. During those two days, Jungkook was cutting himself from the outside world. He would come two hours earlier to cram school so he wouldn’t bump into Chaeyoung in the bus station, ask his mom to pack him lunch so he won’t need to get out of the classroom, and for coffee, drink from the coffee machine or drink the canned one. Not only that, he also attended the night class which he never attended. On those two days too, he didn’t open his phone even once. What is even worse, he forgot where he put his phone.  The battery was dead, and he couldn’t find it by giving it a call. Yet, he didn’t even bother to try looking for it.

“Dude, are you sure you are fine?” asked Sewoon while passing on a cup of coffee to Jungkook.

Jungkook’s face was worrisome. A dark circle in his eyes, a haggard look on his face, and a gloomy aura surrounded him thickly. Lately, he has been studying hard and didn’t have enough sleep. That was why he desperately needed the caffeine. Although Jungkook never told him, Sewoon could tell right away that he had been avoiding his crush who worked at the café. It was clearly shown in his behavior and his face. Although Sewoon didn't know the reason.

Hey, it’s me. I hope u doing okay. Anw could u pls check ur phone?

Jungkook read the handwritten notes on his coffee cup and then looked up at Sewoon with a suspicious look. Sewoon shrugged and said he didn’t do or say anything. He only received what Chaeyoung gave to him. It must be because of the order. She knew exactly what Jungkook always ordered. With a smile, Jungkook said he believed him. He also didn’t forget to relay his thanks to him.

The cup was already empty, but he hadn’t thrown it out. His heart was wavering. He misses her like crazy. But he couldn’t break his resolution. The next class will start in the next 30 minutes. Sewoon who was tired, decided to go home first. Jungkook waved at him and said he would stay and join the night class. After Sewoon left, he put down his pen and absentmindedly looked at his note. Tired, he put his right arm on the table and laid his head on it. His left hand was grabbing the empty cup and his eyes kept reading on that neat handwritten which he was so familiar with.

“I am crazy,” after muttering that word, he closed his eyes. The surroundings suddenly got noisy and that woke him up. The next class was about to begin but he wasn’t in the right mind to attend. So, while the students were swarming into the class, he was the only one who fought the current to get out of it.

This district was never empty. Hundreds of students were coming here, putting in the most effort they might ever do throughout their lives in the narrow-stuffed classroom. These youngsters were showing the same expressions wherever he laid his eyes on them. He included. The night air wasn’t refreshing. Maybe because it was polluted, or it was just the negative energy from these people that made it very hard to breathe.

Jungkook stood in front of the cram school's front door for a while. He was physically and mentally tired. Especially during these past two days. So many things going around in his small brain. Seeing how these people acted like lifeless zombies made him wonder how he could survive this far. Did his decision to leave soccer was a wrong decision? Fck with pride. Should he go back and beg the coach? There was no guarantee he could pass the exam and become successful in whatever major he chose to learn.

“Hufftt…,” a long sigh was coming from him once again. He looked up at the sky. There was no moon. Just a cloudy grey-blackish Seoul sky. This cold dry air slowly made him thirsty. Without further thinking, his feet took him to the nearest convenience store. With a bottle of water he just bought, he got out of the store. Looking at the time, the bus must be packed with people who just got back from office. So he decided to sit in the store’s chair. While drinking his water like he was drinking alcohol, he was observing his surroundings. It’s been so long since he rested his mind and prevented himself from being busy. Now he was just sitting, drinking, and not thinking of anything.

The situation he was in reminded him of Jiho, the previous captain. He used to visit him in the convenience store whenever he was taking a break from his studies. Now that he was in Jiho's position, he could tell why Jiho used to wander around during his break. He might feel so stressed.

The night wind was blowing, and it brought the smoke of cigarettes along with it. Jungkook turned his head, trying to look for the source. Jiho also used to smoke. But he never complained before. Now, it irked him even to see someone who was smoking. Unconsciously he smelled himself. Afraid the smell would linger on his clothes.

Damn it. Since when my world was revolving around her?

Jungkook cursed himself as he remembered why he came to hate cigarettes a lot. It’s because of her. She was so sensitive that could trigger her asthma. Since then, he has always been careful not to get close to smokers. If not, he wouldn’t dare to come close to her.

Since his purpose to distract his thoughts away from her had failed, he decided to go back home. Sadly enough, the universe didn’t support him. Anywhere he laid his eyes on, every corner, every street, every space, he could trace her presence. This kind of torture could end once he arrived home, he thought.

“I am home,” said Jungkook when he opened the door.

He hadn’t eaten so he went straight to the dining room. His mom was in the kitchen, cooking dinner. She told Jungkook to take a bath while she finished cooking. He did as he was told. Around half an hour later he went back to the dining room. In the middle of their dinner, his mom suddenly stood up, went to her room, and came back, while bringing something in her hand. It’s Jungkook’s phone. She found it under his bed when cleaning his room. It’s still turned off.

“Son, do you fight with your friend?” asked his mom.

Jungkook flinched. He took some time to answer. After he swallowed his food, he paused for a moment while looking at his food.

“No, mom. It’s just me. I am just confused about something,” it’s embarrassing to tell this problem to his mom.

She smiled and said it was okay if he didn’t want to talk about it. But she will always be there to lend her ears whenever he needs someone to listen.

“I don’t know what your problem is. But one thing is for sure. You should talk about it. Most of the problem is caused by misunderstanding. Communication is the key. It’s very simple. Throw away your pride, and face it by communicating,” although she didn’t know about the details, as his mom, she seems to grasp the general idea of why his son became like that.

Hearing that advice made Jungkook admire his mom even more. She was amazing. Although she didn’t have the slightest idea of what it was, she could point out the root of his problem. Experience is truly the best teacher. Jungkook nodded and said he would do it. Although it would take some time. His mom smiled and told him to not drag it too long. The longer he postpones it, the more it will hurt. He nodded and said he would keep it in his mind.

After dinner, he headed back to his room. His stomach was full, but his energy was at its lowest point. After he climbed the stairs and arrived at the second-floor living room, his eyes were fixated on the study table. An emotional typhoon suddenly hit him. All this time he thought his house was a safe place. But then, he remembered she also stained this place with her presence. She came here once, and he couldn’t forget it. The memories made him smile but at the same time hurt his heart. Didn’t want to get more emotional, so he quickly walked towards his room. Which was the safest place on the earth. Luckily she never came inside.

At first, he sat on his chair, opened his book, and tried to distract his brain by doing some math problems. But as if he was a junky, he could clearly see the small thing he did together with her. Of course, she hasn’t come inside his room, but he did so many things with her on that table. They were studying together through video call, he read her notes, used her books, and did many indirect things they had been doing together.

“Jeon Jungkook you are so sick,” he said his thought out loud after closing his book. He leaned his back on the chair, closed his eyes, and covered his face with his palms. No matter what he did, he couldn’t get her out of his mind. Without being told, he knew his recent state would ruin his future life, the longer he was hiding and running away from it. He should come out with a solution to this problem unless he wanted to live like this forever.

Desperate, Jungkook stood up, took his sports jacket out from the closet, and changed his clothes to his training suits. It’s been so long since he was exercising. It also served as the best method to clear his head whenever he faced a big problem. He believed a desperate mood after tiring his body out to the point of exhaustion would push him to make a decision. After spending three hours jogging around, he came back home drenched in sweat. He retook the shower and went straight to bed. His body was tired, but not his brain. He was staring at the ceiling and making a what-if scenario in his head. Without realizing it, his eyes slowly closed, and after ensuring himself that the option he chose was the best out of all the scenarios, a snore was heard in that quiet room.

The morning finally came. He plugged in his phone to the charger as soon as he woke up. After getting ready for the cram school, he went to the kitchen and found his breakfast was ready. He headed to the backyard to say thank you to his mom. Jungkook looked at the clock, there were still two hours before his morning class started. It’s been three days since he went to school on this clock. For the sake of avoiding meeting Chaeyoung at the bus stop.

“Mom, I am going!” he shouted from the living room.

The sky was clear today. Guess he should take his time to school. Maybe he could grab a cup of coffee on his way. He opened the gate and when he stepped out, he felt a dejavu.

“Good morning. You got up early today as well,”

A chill went down his spine when he heard that familiar voice. Slowly, he turned his head and looked at a person who stood near the gate.

“Hi. What are you doing here?” he smiled awkwardly at her.

“To meet someone who has been avoiding me for three days straight. It’s so hard to see his face so I have no choice but to come to his house,” it’s so rare to hear that pissed-off intonation from her. No wonder it made Jungkook tremble in fear. He felt so nervous that took him longer to close the gate.

“Ehemm so… What’s the occasion for you to come pick me up at this hour?” he was too afraid to look at her in the eyes. He tried his best to avoid it by saying it while walking away. She didn’t follow him, and that made him even more nervous. Without looking back, he kept on walking. Before he gave up on his curiosity to look back, she suddenly already arrived behind him. Without warning, she pulled his arm and pinned him down to the wall. His face got all red when he realized the situation he was in.

“Chae… Chaeyounga… You are… too close,” he was blushing and kept avoiding eye contact with her.

“Too close? No. I think it’s not close enough. I can get even closer,” she threatened him by moving her face closer to him.

“What are you doing? What if someone misunderstood?” he was so nervous as her grab on his wrists that were pinned to the wall were getting tighter.

“I don’t care. It’s your neighborhood anyway. Not mine,” she responded rather coldly.

Being uncomfortable in that position, Jungkook was fidgeting to get his body some space away from her. Knew she couldn’t win against him using strength, she boldly moved his hands away from the wall to the front of his chest while still holding tightly onto his wrists. That position was so awkward, but she didn’t care. Jungkook got even more uncomfortable, which made him want to try to push her away. Yet, he couldn’t do it. Their body was too close to each other, and his hands were especially in a dangerous position. So that he couldn’t move it freely. He was too afraid he would touch something he shouldn’t.

“What do you want?” he was surprised by her actions and her words today. Never in his wildest imagination, did Chaeyoung have this side of her. Too afraid there would be unpleasant gossip, he decided to give up and play along with her.

“You said you like me. Am I correct?” she asked.

“Yes,” it’s totally unexpected but he answered confidently while looking at her eyes despite how red his face was.

“You said you want to get to know me better. Am I correct?" the following question made not only his face but his ears red.

“Yes,” he gave the same answer with the same attitude. There was no sign of hesitation on that firm answer.

“You asked for my permission whether you can flirt with me. Am I correct?" she kept uttering the question based on what he said when he confessed to her.

“Yes,” although he didn’t know her purpose, he kept answering.

“Is that still valid? Or all of it is already in the past?” this time he was panicking.

“Of course. It’s still valid. It’s not expired,” his voice a bit raised as to ensure her.

“Really? I think it’s contrary to your action. You have avoided me for three days straight, you don’t answer my calls, don’t reply to my text, and even ask your friend to buy you coffee so that you won’t see me. So, it’s normal if I think you hate me, right?” the facts she spitted pierced him right in the heart.

Jungkook gulped down his saliva. The Chaeyoung in front of him right now was beyond scary.

“No, it’s not like that,” his voice got lowered because of the fear.

“Then what? Are you angry because of what I said about your rank?” she kept bombarding him with questions.

“No, Ma’am,” he suddenly became so formal as if he was in the military.

Saved by the bell. Before she uttered another nerve-wracking question, her phone was ringing. She released her hands from his wrists. It’s a chance. That’s what Jungkook thought. But, before he even got away, her hand caught his wrist back.

“Oh oppa. Oh, you are close? Okay, I’ll send you my location. Wait a minute, I am about to finish my business,” her phone call was too short. As soon as she finished, she focused back on the guy who stood in front of her.

“Listen, I understand if you want to avoid me because you were mad. But don’t let what happened between us affect the people around us. Don’t you know how many people care and worry about you because you couldn’t be reached for three freaking days? Now that I assured you that you are well and safe, I can confidently report it to your friends,” it’s so rare for Chaeyoung to burst out angry like this. No matter how angry she was, according to Jimin and other guys, she was always able to keep her composure. And the reason why she became like this was just because he couldn't be reached for three days.

“I… I am sorry. It’s just that my phone was dead, and I forgot where I put it. But I finally found it and charged it. Look,” he was surprised at how nervous he was right now. He just realized it after hearing his voice shake and his movement become clumsy when he tried to take his phone out of his pocket.

“Haaah seriously,” instead of getting calmer, her eyes were getting angrier than before. Not only that, but the grip on his wrist was also getting tighter. He could tell how angry she was.

Once again, before she was about to throw some nag, Jungkook was saved by another phone call.

“You! You’d better turn your freaking phone on. And check those goddamn messages,” she finally let his wrist go and quickly left to the main street while talking on the phone.

Jungkook was left dazed. He couldn’t get the whole situation. Why did she get so angry that even made her swear at him? His brain wasn’t functioning properly, but he tried his best to think by doing what she told him. He his phone and checked the messaging application. There were three thousand unread messages and a hundred missed calls. It’s coming from several group chats, as well as individual messages from his soccer teammates.

On the way to the cram school, Jungkook read all the messages. He finally finished reading all of it and the first thing he had in his brain was “I am screwed”.

***

The airport's domestic terminal was busy as usual. Seen in the corner a bunch of boys brought compacted bags, ready for their vacation. Apart from that big group, there in the far corner, several boys formed a circle. Their eyes were fixated on the boy who looked like a scared bunny. On the slight glare, people could mistake them for conducting a bullying act.

“I am so very sorry!!! Please forgive me!!! I'll do anything, so please….,” Jungkook was begging for forgiveness. He closed his eyes, put his hands together, and bowed his head down. Sadly, his action didn't move an inch of his teammates’ hearts.

During the time he “lost” his phone, his friends were busy talking about the plan of their 2D1N trip to Jeju Island. It was originally a healing camp of the soccer team, but Jaehyun suggested inviting the recently graduated member who was still hunting for university. His proposal was accepted by Youngjun, the recent captain. Of course, the alumnus would pay for the fee.

There wasn’t a formal schedule for the graduates, Jaehyun simply just wanted them to relax. But their juniors were asking them to give a gift to their coach who will get married next month. That was why Jaehyun, as the representative of the graduates, threw a discussion on their group chat. The group chat became lively again after almost half a year. But their captain didn’t give a response that made them worried. They were fine at first, but they started to get worried when it was time to confirm the attendance of who would participate. Everyone in the group gave their answer, but one person.

As the vice-captain, Jaehyun held the responsibility to contact Jungkook. Yet, he gave up and asked the others for help. Taehyun, Dokyeom, Mingyu, and Yugyeom also tried to contact him on the third day but failed. Even Chaeyoung said she couldn’t meet Jungkook. Luckily, on the fourth day, due to Chaeyoung’s confrontation, Jungkook was able to get contacted. Good for him, he was still able to get a plane ticket.

“Kids, it’s time for boarding. Let’s go!” said the coach making those boys glare at Jungkook.

Although he was saved this time, Jungkook was aware, that they hadn’t forgiven him yet. He still needed to attend the trial once they arrived.

The boys safely arrived at Jeju and went straight to their accommodation. When they got off the bus, Jungkook was a bit surprised when he saw familiar faces among the employees who lined up to welcome them. They’re Chaeyoung and Jimin. Later, he found out their accommodation was owned by her family. As the captain of his batch, Jungkook, along with Namjoon, the Coach, and Yeonjun represents the group to greet the owner. They only talked to the boss, who was Chaeyoung’s father. But to be polite, they were also greeted by other family members. When Jungkook’s eyes met Chaeyoung, he instinctively averted his eyes.

The schedule wasn’t so packed. The captains and Jaehyun suggested they should do fun things. They should liven up to the theme, the healing camp. After they put their belongings in their room, the boys gathered in the courtyard. The schedule consists of playing games to increase teamwork, lunch, doing the surprise event for the coach, continuing with the team building games, dinner, and then they have free time. On the next day, it’s full of free activity. They would go back to Seoul in the evening.

The first schedule was ongoing. The boys were busy playing the game. Jungkook was still waiting for his team's turn for the game. He was a bit thirsty, so he went to get a bottle of water that was put on the table in the edge of the courtyard. At the same time, he arrived at the table, some staff was coming to deliver some refreshments that would be put on that table. Chaeyoung was one of them. He knew it would be awkward and too obvious if he suddenly turned away. So, he just casually took the water bottle and pretended to not be aware of her presence. He was hoping since she was working, and her family was there, she wouldn’t be able to bring up their unsolved business.

“Hey,” opposite his expectation, Chaeyoung was coming over to him and greeted him.

Jungkook suddenly got awkward. He was looking around, hoping his teammates and juniors didn’t pay attention to their interactions.

“We need to talk,” didn’t care about others' opinions, Chaeyoung talked to him just like usual.

Jungkook still couldn’t look her in the eyes. He was trying to play cool by being busy with his water bottle. Before he could give her the answer, their conversation got interrupted. His team called for him cause it was finally their turn.

“Sorry, I gotta go,” Jungkook took that golden opportunity and excused himself.

The game was scheduled to end near lunchtime. But the hungry stomachs made the boys end the game quicker than the destined time. The staff were still busy preparing for their buffet but the dining table was already packed with them.

“Owh, it’s cold!” said Jimin while touching his cheek. Jungkook was giggling cheekily.

“If you are that worry, why won’t you head to the kitchen?” Jungkook tried to comfort him. Throughout the game, Jimin looked uncomfortable whenever he saw his family members were busy serving the guests.

“My dad scolds me and tells me to enjoy my time with my friends. My mom and sister even forbid me to enter the staff area,” Jimin was pouting.

Jungkook smiled then put the cold glass of water on the other side of Jimin’s chubby cheek. It made him make menacing eyes. Jungkook laughed at his adorable reaction. He said there was another thing Jimin could do to help them. He could promote their restaurant or tell the guest about favorite places to visit while staying in their villa. Jimin’s eyes widened, and a smile bloomed on those pouty lips. Not wasting any second, he stood up and came over to another table. He was socializing with the seniors to buy their time so that they wouldn’t get bored. He then promotes their lunch menu and the house’s specialty. Jungkook watched him and smiled proudly.

The smell of food made them begin to salivate. Yet, they were still not allowed to take their plate before all the food was fully served. To kill time, they were chit-chatting with their senior or junior they hadn’t met or were close to yet. The guy who sat next to Jungkook was the goalkeeper of the first year. While they were talking, he mentioned Jaehyun. He already talks to Jungkook’s teammates, except Jaehyun. Since he was a goalkeeper, he was so eager to meet him. But, today, he hardly saw him. Jungkook looked around and scanned every chair but couldn’t see Jaehyun. He then asked Yugyeom who sat across from him. Yugyeom said he saw Jaehyun in the kitchen when he went to the toilet. Curious, he left his seat and went to the toilet.

He intended to take a sneak peek at the kitchen, but he didn’t. He just realized there was a chance he would bump into Chaeyoung. You attract what you fear. When he got out of the toilet, he saw Chaeyoung leaving the kitchen with a container of food. Their eyes met but he quickly averted it and left. He was leaving in a hurry and instead of going to the dining room, he went to the backyard. There, he saw Jaehyun get out of the car and lift boxes of soda. Behind him was Chaeyoung’s father. From his stand, he could vaguely hear their conversation. Chaeyoung’s father thanked Jaehyun but then told him to join their friends instead of helping. Jungkook’s heart suddenly ached. He didn’t understand the reason, but his instinct told him to leave quickly.

After the satisfying lunch, the boys were getting sleepy. So, the Coach told them to take a short break and gathered back in the backyard at 2.30 AM. Like a solid battalion, they were heading to their assigned rooms. The room they were assigned was decided by a draw. There were only a few rooms, so most of them were sleeping in the living room. Jungkook was lucky. He got a room for four people. His roommate was Taehyung and two other juniors. While on break, Dokyeom came over to their room to hang out. Since the other room was occupied by his roommate’s team.

“Hey, have you met Nayeon’s parents?” asked Jungkook out of the blue to Dokyeom who was lying down and busy with his phone.

Dokyeom was a bit startled by the sudden question, but his eyes were still glued to the phone screen. He then said, of course, he had met them. He often picked her up and always dropped her at her home whenever they were going on a date. There was no way he didn’t ask permission from her parents. Jungkook didn’t respond. He only stared blankly at the ceiling. Curious, Dokyeom put his phone away, sat up, and observed Jungkook who lay down on the next bed. Wondering, what was the reason he asked that kind of question. Couldn’t figure it out, he looked at Taehyung wishing he could get an answer. Taehyung looked at him and shook his head. Give up, he then lay down and focused on his phone again. A new message just came on their group chat. Namjoon asked about Jaehyun’s whereabouts and Jimin replied that he was helping his dad at the storage. Dokyeom smiled in satisfaction as he read it. He seems to know why Jungkook asked that question.

“We have free time after dinner, right? Why won’t you treat Jaehyun for a drink?” Dokyeom seems to have a plan on his head.

“Why should I?” asked Jungkook.

Dokyeom showed an evil smile. Without mercy, he mentioned every work Jaehyun had done which was supposed to be Jungkook’s. He was the vice-captain, but he took care of this event along with other junior captains. Moreover, Jungkook couldn’t be reached at a crucial time. Jaehyun even used his own money to secure Jungkook’s ticket first. Regardless Jungkook would come or not. Being told like that slapped Jungkook’s conscience. He did sound like a loafer and good-for-nothing captain.

“Alright, alright. I will treat him,” Jungkook accepted the reality and tried to make up for his mistake by bribing Jaehyun with a drink.

Those three then continued their activity with their phone. Not long after, Taehyung stood up and said he was craving some snacks. Like a generous Santa, Dokyeom said he brought a lot of snacks, but it was in his room. Without waiting any second, Taehyung asked him for his room number and quickly ran off. In no time, he was back with hands full of snacks.

His stomach was full due to the food from lunch, but there was always space for snacks and dessert. Taehyung put the snack on the table, took one, and opened it. Hearing an opened packaging sound, Jungkook and Dokyeom stood up and like a crow started to gather around Taehyung. Dokyeom put his hand inside and took out a handful of potato chips. Now, it was Jungkook’s turn, but when he was about to put his hand inside, Taehyung pulled the snack away. It made Jungkook frown.

“Tell me. What happened between you and Mrs. Park?” Taehyung asked the question as if it was a quiz and the snack was the prize.

“What do you mean? Nothing’s happened,” he told an obvious lie.

The sound of giggles being held was heard. Jungkook looked at his friends’ faces and felt a bit embarrassed.

“Oh yeah, sure. Do you expect us to believe it? You dare to ignore her in front of all the people and you said there is no beef between you two? Come on, dude. Just spill the tea!” Taehyun was mocking him while munching the potato chips which made Jungkook even more annoyed.

“Come on dude. If you want to lie, you should do it better so that none of us will notice,” Dokyeom added fuel to the fire.

Jungkook was speechless. He felt so annoyed by the reality. So, the entire club witnessed him ignoring her? So, it was so obvious? Yet, they were all acting nonchalantly as if nothing happened. Jungkook looked at them and saw smug smirks on both of their faces. He knew he got caught right-handed but he didn’t want to satisfy their curiosity.

“Nothing is going on,” once again he lied but this time he was satisfied. Their faces showed disappointment which made Jungkook feel like he was winning.

Suddenly, the sound of knocking was heard. The three were looking at each other. They spoke with their eyes to decide who should open the door. Jungkook was looking so afraid and anxious that both of his friends felt pity. The next knock was heard and this time, Taehyung took the initiative to stand up and headed towards the door. Meanwhile, Jungkook silently moved to the side where it won’t be seen by the person at the door.

“Oh Changie. What’s up?” Taehyung happily greeted the guest who knocked on the door. He purposely only opened a small gap so that only his face was shown. Upon hearing Taehyung's greeting, two boys inside the room had different reactions. Dokyeom was holding his laugh while Jungkook was shaking in fear.

“Jungkook?” Taehyung purposely said it out loud so Jungkook could hear. Meanwhile, the one who was being searched was trying to hide inside the closet.

Dokyeom buried his face on the pillow to muffle his laugh after seeing Jungkook’s comical action. Feeling he was able to handle his voice, he took his face off and smiled naughtily at Jungkook. Before he closed the closet door, Jungkook immediately put his index finger on his lips.

“Oh, Changie! Sorry I was changing my clothes, so Taehyung didn’t open the door. What’s up? You are looking for Jungkook? He is not here,” Dokyeom opened the door widely to assure her there was nothing suspicious.

Their next conversation couldn’t be heard by Jungkook. He only dared to open the closet door once he heard the door was being closed. While he was about to step out, Taehyung and Dokyeom were already standing in front of him, demanding payment for their help.

Seeing them made Jungkook back into the closet, close the door, and start his confession.

“Hemm… So, fathers, I’d like to confess my sin,” Jungkook began his confession.

“Yes, my son. Fathers are all ears,” Dokyeom replied while lowering his voice to sound like a grown-up man.

What they were doing was so silly that made Taehyung giggling nonstop.

“So, the thing is… I…” Before Jungkook completed his sentence, the door was opened. Jaehyun showed up and told the guys to get ready for the surprise event for the coach. Dokyeom and Taehyung looked greatly disappointed. On the contrary, Jungkook was grateful to Jaehyun as if Jaehyun was a messenger from God that freed him from Satan. Hurriedly they went out and regrouped with the others.

The surprise event ended successfully as well as the following schedule that ended right before dinner time. The venue of dinner was in a backyard where the staff were already preparing for the barbeque party. Because most of the boys were minors, the teacher and coach forbid any alcoholic drink. For the older boys, if they want a drink, they should do it outside the accommodation.

***

Serving a group of customers had been taking Chaeyoung’s time all day long. She had been a busybody since dawn, along with other staff. The family business revenue was still not that good so her father couldn’t afford to hire more employees yet. Between the crazy tasks the staff had, they took turns once things cooled down a bit to take a short break. Once it was her turn, she was going right away to look for Jungkook. She urgently needed to resolve her unfinished business with him. Unfortunately, her break was too short and Jungkook kept on avoiding her.

Now the dinner preparation was almost complete, the boys started to swarm the backyard and occupied every empty chair.

“Have you seen Jungkook?” Chaeyoung who just come while bringing the tray of raw meat asked Mingyu who was sitting near the table where they put the ingredients. Mingyu looked around and said he didn’t see him.

Chaeyoung nodded then quickly went back to the kitchen. Strange. She hadn’t seen him since she came over to his room. She didn’t know whether he was purposely hiding from her, or it was just she was too busy to the point she couldn’t pay attention to her surroundings. Either way, she was upset because the time was ticking.

Dinner finally started and she was getting even busier. It was the fourth time she was back to the barbeque area to refill the meat. These boys truly had a big appetite. As soon as she was back to the kitchen and came back with a tray of meat, there was no meat left on the table to be grilled. She took a long sigh once she poured down the meat. Seeing how tired she was, Mingyu who was in charge of grilling the meat gave her a sympathetic look. Sneakily, he handed her a plate full of grilled meat and put it on the empty tray she was holding. With a tired face, she was smiling and appreciating a small kind gesture from him.

There was no time to rest as another tray started to get empty. After taking another long breath, she cheered herself and began to walk back to the kitchen while silently eating the grilled meat Mingyu gave her. On the way to the kitchen, her eyes caught two familiar postures heading to the toilet. She wanted to run over to them, but her feet couldn’t listen to her. Her feet hurt after standing and walking around since dawn. Yet, she wasn’t that worried cause she thought she would arrive on time. They needed some time to finish their business on the toilet anyway.

After putting the empty tray in the kitchen, despite being sorry, she asked permission from other staff to go to the toilet. This time, she won’t let another chance slip to meet Jungkook. She arrived at the toilet and waited outside since it was a man’s toilet. The first one who came out was Dokyeom, one of the familiar figures she noticed earlier. Innocently, she was asking about Jungkook. Dokyeom showed a disappointed face and said Jungkook had left first. Her eyes drooped in disappointment. If she just came right away to the toilet without putting the tray back, she could meet him. Regardless, there was nothing she could do. She relayed her gratitude to Dokyeom and with drooped shoulders, she went back to the kitchen.

“She is gone. Come out you chicken,” Dokyeom called Jungkook out from his hidden spot. Sneakily he walked out from behind the wall. Dokyeom took a long sigh. Through Dokyeom’s eyes, Jungkook could tell Dokyeom was disappointed in him for acting like this.

“So, you indeed avoiding her, huh? That’s not a nice and gentlemanly thing to do,” Mingyu appeared out of nowhere and joined hands with Dokyeom to scold Jungkook who was looking like a big loser.

“Mingyu is right. I feel bad for lying to her. I don’t know why you do that, but I think you should go meet her. Who knows she wants to tell you something important,” hidden behind Mingyu’s big build, Taehyung appeared like a cute little kid.

Jungkook looked at each of his friends’ eyes. They definitely know something. Why? Why does everyone know about that something, but him? The workers of the café and his friends? Why he was the one who was left in darkness? But, before he blames anyone, he realizes it was his fault. Maybe the reason she was desperately looking for him was to tell him about that something. Yet he was the one who kept running away.

While waiting for Mingyu and Taehyung to do their business on the toilet, Jungkook kept thinking about his friends’ advice. As well as his decision he has already made but hasn’t acted it out. Once they were done, those boys went back to the dining area in silence. As they were getting closer to their destination, Jungkook’s feet slowly got heavier and finally, he stopped midway. The others were looking back at him, and after apologizing, he excused himself and went back to the kitchen. When he was gone, those friends were looking at each other and showed meaningful smiles.

The kitchen was bustling, which made him a bit afraid to come in. So, he waited, hoping for a person to come out or come in so that he could ask about her whereabouts. While waiting, there is a staff member who seems to be hurrying to the kitchen. Jungkook was about to stop her, but he couldn’t because it seemed urgent.

“Where is Rosie? There is a guy who claims to be her friend. He wanted to meet her,” said the staff.

“She probably at the storeroom,” one of the staff replied and they were quickly heading to the storeroom.

Sneakily, Jungkook followed them from behind.

“Geez, seriously I don’t like that guy. He seems like he is the type to make a ruckus. I don’t believe Rosie is his friend. But that guy stubbornly insisted. If he didn’t speak to me using a heavy Australian accent, I won’t believe him,” said the staff who brought the news.

Jungkook listened to the staff’s conversation. Somehow, he suddenly felt anxious. After they met Chaeyoung, she hurriedly headed to the restaurant where the alleged friend of hers was waiting. Once again, Jungkook followed like a stalker. There, he saw Chaeyoung come over to the guy who sat at the outdoor table. Jungkook knew it was wrong, but he couldn’t help but worry. He looked around but there was almost nothing that could hide his big body. When Chaeyoung arrived at the table, she took the chair that faced the direction where Jungkook was. Panicking, he quickly hid behind a big bush. He couldn’t look at them, but he still could hear their conversation.

“It’s been a long time, how have you been?” said the guy.

“Yeah, it’s truly been so long. I’ve been good as you can see,” she replied. Although she sounded bright, Jungkook who spent almost every day with her could feel there was something unpleasant in her voice.

“How’s your parents? I heard your dad quit the company to start a new business. How is it going?” with a bit of mockery tone, that guy was asking her.

“It’s not going well. I believe the news already spread like wildfire. Even my friends who living abroad knew it,” a sarcastic response from her made the hair on Jungkook’s arms stand up. From that, he could tell that guy was unordinary.

“Ah, really? I am sorry. So, that's why the restaurant is closing,” that guy's words were so offensive, but she was still smiling politely at him.

“My Dad's business failed so he opened this restaurant to start a new one. And yes it's closed because it’s already reserved for this weekend.  I am sorry but you can come back again tomorrow if you want to eat,” she politely apologized because of the inconvenience. Although she knew that guy had no intention of tasting their food.

“Oh, come on. You will let me go just like this after I came all the way here?” he was showing a pitiful face, yet his lips were trying so hard to hold a smirk.

“Sorry, I’m afraid I should do that. We are very shorthanded right now. I am afraid we can’t serve a customer. I truly suggest you come some other time. I am so sorry, but I have to head back now,” not shaken by his pleading, she refused him and even excused herself to go back to her duty.

Before she left, Junhoe, the guy who was claiming as her longtime friend, was calling her name. She stopped and looked down at him who still sat on the chair. He then asked whether it was true that the guest was Jimin’s school soccer team.

Chaeyoung got a bit annoyed. This guy already knew all along but still asking that question to offend her. Still, she was patient and gave him a nod. A smile formed on his face. He then said he knew someone from that team. Perhaps, he could come inside and say hello to him. She took a long breath and came back to her seat.

“I am really sorry but it’s beyond my authority. I really appreciate your eagerness to taste our food. But I am so very sorry Junhoe. I believe it would be best if you came back tomorrow. Also, I can’t be out for too long. The staff are so busy right now. I should go back to help my folks,” she apologized politely once again to that guy.

There was a quite long pause as that Junhoe guy didn’t give any response. Only the sound of the wind was heard from where Jungkook hid. He was so curious about what that guy looked like. From his voice alone, Jungkook could tell he was the type that he hated the most. The arrogant rude annoying rich kid type.

Then, the sound of a chair being dragged was heard. Jungkook guessed it was Chaeyoung who was about to head back.

“Hahaha… Seriously. You know, to be frank, I just came here to meet you. It’s been so long since I wanted to have a conversation with my childhood friend. But guess what, I think you prefer to accompany a bunch of guys rather than have a chat with an old friend,” the arrogancy in his voice was raised double from earlier. The mockery and cynical words he spatted were also sharper and crueler than before. Hearing what he said boiled the blood in Jungkook’s veins. How dare he degrade Chaeyoung as if she were an easy girl?

“I apologize for my rudeness. It’s not like I don’t want to greet my longtime friend. I wish for your understanding that my situation right now is not suitable for it,” despite getting insulted she was still being polite to him which made Jungkook even get pissed at that guy.

“Why? Are you afraid that I will see your true self? Flirting around with guys here and there. Don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone,” giving up seems to not in that guy's list. He was still insisting on talking with her although he should insult her.

Jungkook’s ears were getting redder as he held his anger. He couldn’t wait and listen to this conversation anymore. Confidently he rose from the ground and walked confidently to those two. Chaeyoung still hasn’t responded to his latest insult. Could sense she was a bit shaking from his earlier insult, that guy took that chance to persuade her rudely.

“So… What’s your choice? I won’t tell a soul about your flirtatious ….,”

“WATCH YOUR MOUTH, DUDE!” Before Junhoe got to finish his sentences, Jungkook cut him off.

Hearing a familiar voice made her turn her head. A startled expression was shown on her face. Unlike her, the guy was smirking when he saw him. As if Jungkook’s appearance validated his words for Chaeyoung being a flirtatious girl.

Seeing that guy face up close made Jungkook’s hatred towards him grow even bigger. There were nail marks on his palms because he clenched his fist tightly to hold his anger. He truly wanted to punch that annoying face.

“Who the hell are you? Her boyfriend?” Junhoe asked him rudely.

“Why should you care, huh?” Jungkook didn’t want to lie but he knew, if he denied it, that guy would say something nasty.

“Ah, so you are not. Then, are you one of her collections?” This guy had a talent for insulting. If there was a competition for holding out anger, he would be a tough opponent because he could make his opponent lose his anger only in a second.

. Jungkook cursed internally.  He couldn’t make a ruckus because it would draw attention. He didn’t want to cause trouble for his soccer team and Chaeyoung’s family's reputation. This rude guy seems like a spoiled rich kid. If he made a wrong choice, who knows what this guy will do? Now, he was struggling to think about his next step to handle this annoying dude.

“Hey Gu Junhoe, what the hell are you doing here?!” a new player suddenly came up and joined the nerve battle. The three of them looked at the new player at the same time. Jaehyun had entered the game.

“Hahaha… It’s hilarious! Hey Rosie. Tell me, who is your boyfriend? The knight in shining armor or the prince in the white horse?” didn’t slip a chance, Junhoe kept on throwing insulting jokes.

This situation was kind of confusing for Jungkook. The fact that Jaehyun knew this guy’s name and how that guy reacted upon seeing Jaehyun’s face clearly indicates they both already know each other. Now, he was the only one who didn’t know the identity of this rude guy.

Not only Jungkook but also Chaeyoung was dumbfounded by the unexpected scene. When Jaehyun got closer, Junhoe put his arm on Jaehyun’s shoulder as if they were a bestie.

“See, I told ya that I know some guy from that soccer club. So, you will let me join them, will ya?” Although he knew he was supposed to ask Jaehyun permission instead of her, he still asked her anyway.

“Take your hands off, damn it! Like I will let you show your face here,” Jaehyun aggressively threw Junhoe’s arms off.

“Ow, ow, chill down, dude. I feel a bit hurt; you know? We used to be besties in middle school. How cruel of you to forget that wonderful times we spent together?” Junhoe raised his hands as a gesture to get surrounded.

Realizing it wouldn’t be easy to deal with him, Jaehyun looked at Jungkook and told him to bring Chaeyoung away. Jungkook who had the same thought as Jaehyun obeyed his order. He put his hands on her shoulder to lead her away from there.

“Where the hell are you going? I haven’t finished talking to her,” just like Jaehyun, Junhoe also began to lose his temper.

When Junhoe was about to grab her arm, Jaehyun held his hand. Jaehyun gave him a deadly stare and warned him not to take any more steps.

“The dude. Why the hell are you doing this? Do I offend you in some ways?” Junhoe didn’t have any idea what made Jaehyun furious at him. As far as he remembered, they never had any conflict during middle school. They indeed used to hang out together but later slowly drifted apart. Yet they did not end their friendship in a bad way.

“Yes. Indirectly,” Jaehyun gave him a short answer. Junhoe was busy thinking, but he couldn’t find an answer. Now that Chaeyoung had slowly walked away, he forgot about thinking about his mistake and quickly moved to chase her. Jaehyun didn’t give him a chance and successfully grabbed his arms to prevent him from running towards her.

“Come on dude. If you have a problem with me. Just say it to my face and solve it face to face like a man. I have no time to play with your ,” losing his temper, Junhoe decided to solve the first obstacle first.

“It’s not me that you should fix your problem with. You should apologize to my friend whose dream you crushed due to your dumb act,” Jaehyun gave a hint to Junhoe. From the hint, Junhoe was racking his brain out, and seemed his brain was doing a good job.

“Ah, that little boy. Who is his name again? Hiichan? Haetchang? Whatever,” Junhoe spouted out the answer and tested the water. Jaehyun gave a big reaction which means what he thought was right.

“I think you are mistaken. It’s not me who wrecked his life. It’s the opposite. That little brat made me get expelled from school,” his eyes were changed. As he remembered the bitter fate he had because of that little guy he never knew existed.

Jaehyun was able to tell that Junhoe was still mad at what happened because of Haechan. That’s why he couldn’t let them meet. It will be a disaster. For Haechan of course. To meet the one who bullied him and the one who crushed his dream. Added by how intimidating Junhoe was. It won’t do any good for Haechan.

Seeing there was a chance when Jaehyun was busy thinking about Haechan, Junhoe took it to get away from his firm grasp. It took Jaehyun by surprise, but it was too late. With his long legs, Junhoe already approached Jungkook and Chaeyoung. He stopped them by grabbing her shoulder. Jungkook who saw it felt enraged. He grabbed Junhoe’s wrist and forcefully took them off her shoulder. Junhoe was a bit startled at how strong his grip was but couldn’t do anything.

“Roseanne, we haven’t finished talking,” Junhoe continued the pending business.

“I believe she already said it loud and clear that she is done with whatever business you have with her,” Jungkook’s round bunny eyes turned to be the eyes of the wolves who tried to protect his colony.

Feeling responsible for his task, Jaehyun approached them, held Junhoe’s arms, and told Jungkook to leave once again. Junhoe was aggravated and yelled at Jaehyun to take his hand off.

“Let him go, Jaehyun,” finally Chaeyoung opened which had been shut tight since the arrival of both men.

The three of them were surprised. Jaehyun let his hand go and Junhoe was rubbing the place where it was grabbed. It unexpectedly hurt but his lips were smiling. He won.

“I apologize for my rudeness. It’s been ages and I shouldn’t ignore your effort to come all the way here. Let’s have some talk,” Chaeyoung was smiling and gestured to Junhoe to follow her.

Jungkook and Jaehyun were looking at each other, surprised at her sudden change of behavior. Before she stepped too far, Jungkook held her wrist to stop her.

“Don’t go,” reflexively he told her to not go.

Junhoe was so pissed and now it’s him to grab Jungkook’s arm. Chaeyoung smiled and told him not to worry. She would be fine. Still, Jungkook couldn’t let her alone with that dangerous and rude man. Despite being clenched tight by Junhoe, he was still holding on to her.

“JEON JUNGKOOK! JUNG JAEHYUN!” That dramatic scene was interrupted by the commercial break as someone was shouting out those two names.

“Holy sh*t! I thought you said it was a soccer team retreat, but it seems like it was a freakin SM Entertainment’s retreat,” Junhoe spoke his mind out loud as he saw Mingyu coming in their direction.

Despite this dramatic situation, Jungkook found his honest comment kinda funny which made him try so hard to not laugh. Those words sounded so honest that Jungkook could understand him. Anyone who saw Kim Mingyu must be bewitched by his appearance. No matter what gender. They would find him attractive. Yet, this positive feeling didn’t last for long as Junhoe’s grab on his wrist was tightening.

Mingyu who had no idea what happened on the crime scene told Jungkook that he should be back to give his speech as a captain. Jungkook immediately checked on Chaeyoung. He didn’t want to leave her alone with that jerk, but he had to return to his team. The winning smile on Junhoe’s face also made him so reluctant to leave her.

The air and the atmosphere in that scene were certainly so tense. In a split second, Mingyu could read what kind of situation they were in. Jaehyun and Jungkook's furious yet anxious faces, Jungkook’s hand on Chaeyoung’s, and that arrogant-looking boy’s hand on Jungkook’s wrist. That guy must be bad news. Mingyu’s eyes, which were as kind as deer now turned fierce. Even without spitting any words, his eyes were saying all the threatened words to Junhoe.

“Hahaha… So, is he one of your collections too? What’s his role? A handsome Casanova?” Junhoe’s jeer made an appearance again.

Finally, Jungkook let his hand go from Chaeyoung and changed his target to Junhoe. He couldn’t hold his anger any longer and was about to punch Junhoe in the face. Luckily, that anger was vanishing as he felt a gentle hand holding his fist.

“Oh, he is indeed popular for that nickname. You have good eyes. And yes, they are all in my collection. Hope you won’t envy them because you are not one of them,” she was smiling sweetly to Junhoe. Now, her head turns to Jungkook.

“It’s okay, Jungkook. I will be fine. You should go back to your team. Jaehyun, you too. Mingyu, please those two. As for you Jimin, could you please tell Mom and Dad that I have a visitor so I could take a break for a moment?” Chaeyoung gave an order for each of them.

Jimin? For the first time, the three guys were in the same frequency. They were looking into each other’s eyes and wondering why she mentioned Jimin. Quietly a tiny, cute guy appeared behind Mingyu. He was so tiny and completely out of sight behind Mingyu’s tower height.

“Let’s go, Roseanne,” said Junhoe.

Jungkook looked hesitated but Jaehyun pushed his back and told him to trust Chaeyoung. He then said in a tiny voice that Junhoe might have a foul mouth, but he would never harm her physically. Before they left, Chaeyoung called Mingyu and gestured to him to go closer. She whispered something in his ear that made Jungkook and Jaehyun curious but they didn’t dare to ask.

Give up, those boys were heading in the opposite direction from Chaeyoung and Junhoe. But Jungkook’s heart was still not calm the farther they walked. In the middle of leaving, he suddenly turned back and ran over to her.

“I can’t let you go. At least, take Jaehyun with you,” he pleaded.

Chaeyoung couldn’t refuse those desperate voices and doe eyes. She looked at Jaehyun who seemed to not mind with that suggestion. Before Jungkook started to protest, she took precautions by agreeing with Jungkook to ease his mind.

The vague smile was shown on Jungkook’s face. He felt relieved and hurriedly went back to his team. The event hadn’t started because they were waiting for him. He felt a bit guilty and as soon as they handed him the mic, he apologized to them. After successfully wrapping out his speech for this bonding event, Jungkook intentionally took place next to Jimin.

Knowing that Jimin already knew he had a feeling for his sister, Jungkook didn’t waste any time busting around the bush. He directly asked Jimin about Junhoe and what kind of relationship he had with Chaeyoung.

According to Jimin, Junhoe was Chaeyoung’s friend back when they were living in Australia. He often heard people say he was her ex-boyfriend. Jungkook’s pupils were enlarged when he heard that word. Seeing his reaction made Jimin a bit uneasy. So he consoled him by saying he didn’t believe that rumor. His sister was mothae solo. A relieved sigh was out of Jungkook. Yet, he didn’t feel fully rest assured.

Throughout the event, Jungkook couldn’t focus. His eyes were glued to the entrance. Waiting desperately for Jaehyun’s arrival. Once, his eyes focused on the person coming from it, but he found out it wasn’t Jaehyun who came, but Mingyu. However, he was a bit confused as to why Mingyu was coming out of there when he hadn’t seen him out.

This bonding event was just a bunch of boys making a small circle and talking to their senior or junior. The Juniors were given 15 minutes in a group before they moved to another group. That way, they will have a chance to have a personal talk with a senior they haven’t talked to. Now the official event had ended, they were free to regroup with whoever they wanted to.

Dinner was over two hours ago, and the clock’s arms showed it’s already 8. When those boys were busy chit chatting, someone stood in the middle and hit the glass with a spoon as to gather all the attention to him. It’s their coach. To repay for the unforgettable event his boys gave him this afternoon, the coach treated them to another feast. He also said the owner, who was none other Jimin’s family also joined hands to prepare this gift for them. The boys were frowning and wondering what kind of gift they would give, but later their eyes were beaming with joy. The staff entered the backyard and brought trays full of raw seafood.

The boys were salivating over fat, healthy and fresh seafood. With the help from the staff, those sea creatures were cooked. This time, not only the boys, but the staff as well as Jimin’s family also come to join them. Seeing how the staff was struggling to provide the food for the hungry hyena-like boys, without being told, Mingyu rose up and went behind the barbecue set to give a hand. The boys were happily lining up with their plate, eager to eat their second meal. Smiling at his juniors’ cute yet embarrassing behavior, Jungkook decided to be a model senior and helped Mingyu behind the grill. Working as his assistant.

“If you are so worried, why won’t you go check them out?” Mingyu who noticed Jungkook was keep on looking at the entrance with anxious expression couldn’t help but to .

Jungkook showed a bitter smile to answer his question. Mingyu then assured him he could handle the seafood just fine. He didn’t give significant help anyway. His comment made Jungkook glare at him and threatened to shove a living octopus to his face. Mingyu laughed at that scary threat and continued to grill on the fish and clams. Once they were done, he put it on the plate, ready to call for their junior over to take it, but then he held himself as he saw Haechan show up in the entrance. With a smile he waved his hand to catch his attention, and once he noticed, he gestured to him to come over.

“Hey, you, okay? What happened? You don’t look good,” Mingyu observed Haechan’s face while handed the plate full of grilled seafood. He was indeed didn’t look good. It looked like he just seeing a ghost. Scared, surprised and empty. Jungkook who heard Mingyu’s question also started to observe Haechan’s face. Since Haechan didn’t give an answer, Jungkook turned to Mingyu, demanding an explanation why Haechan came back like a traumatic boy. Mingyu a bit hesitated but then briefed Jungkook about what Chaeyoung had requested him to do.

The image of Junhoe’s face appeared on Jungkook’s head that made him boil in anger. How dare he made his junior looked like a living corpse? What the hell he said to him with those dirty foul mouth?

“So, you met that jerk. Tell me. What he did to you?” feeling responsible for his junior, Jungkook was ready to act against that bully.

Haechan was looking at Jungkook with a still feared face, trying to process the simple question. It made him even more pitiful. Jungkook patted his back and reassured him it’s safe to tell him about that annoying bully.

“He didn’t do anything,” Haechan replied with a flat tone as if he was a robot.

Sensing something wasn’t right, Jungkook glared at Mingyu. Like soulmates, they communicated using only their gaze. Without further wait, Jungkook slowly directed Haechan to the corner of the yard and soon after, Mingyu followed him. The rule tonight was to mingle with junior. Seeing Haechan’s condition they believed they should create a group which he would be comfortable with. After careful discussion, Mingyu dragged Namjoon, Dokyeom, Taehyung, Jimin and Seungkwan into their group. Almost all of the representative batch was all in, so that their group meet the conditions of the bonding event. They didn’t want the coach or the teacher to find out about this matter. So, they only brought trustworthy ones.

“So, what happened?” Dokyeom asked excitedly as he sense something interesting was coming.

Besides Mingyu and Jungkook, no one knew about this story, so Mingyu volunteered to give them a short synopsis. Now, as they knew the situation, their attention now shifted from Mingyu to Haechan. Haechan gulped as he received an intense attention. But he couldn’t avoid those curios eyes. He then began telling them about the history of him and Junhoe. Also, how Jaehyun and Chaeyoung were also involved in this case.

“It’s been so long since we met. But tonight, I was so surprised. What just happened really scared me out,” said Haechan with trembling voice.

Seungkwan who went to the same middle school as Haechan, and used to be victim of Junhoe’s underling bullying, was having a goosebump. He knew Junhoe was scary but couldn’t imagine he was “that” scary that even made Haechan who was brave enough to report him to the school shivering in fears.

“So, what Junhoe sunbae do to you?” Seungkwan asked curiously. He didn’t want to hurt his friend by recalling unpleasant memories, but curiosity win over it.

“He didn’t do anything,” Haechan said the exact same answer he gave to Jungkook before.

The others were so confused, especially the one who didn’t know about Junhoe. This bully might be so damn scary. Even when he didn’t do anything, Haechan was greatly traumatized.

“I don’t get it. Why would you be scared of him if he didn’t do anything,” Jungkook spoke his confusion. Quickly the others gave him intense stares as to scold him for being so inconsiderate.

“That’s why it’s scarier. She could make him kneeled down and apologize right in front of my eyes. Even though she was my ally, her voice still made me shiver. The way she talks. I don’t know it’s just…, ” Haechan’s eyes were shaking as he recalled that memories.

“Hold on, did you just say her? Not him? But her?? Then… You mean…,” Taehyun confirming what he just heard. Even without having to finish his sentence, the others especially the older guys already know the answer.

Namjoon was gulping. He seemed to get the idea what she did to that guy. Must be blackmailing, one of her ultimate weapons. As a victim himself, he was able to relate with that Junhoe dude. Just like Namjoon, the rest of them also sinking in a deep thought. Some was having a hard time imagining how could a pretty sweet and kind looking girl like Chaeyoung execute that scary act, and some was shivering in fears as they imagine what kind of threat that even make the scary bully kneeled down in her command.

“Hey Kook, how many lives did you have?” Taehyung suddenly broke the silence.

Every head in that circle turned to Taehyung’s direction. They wore the same expression at his random and absurd question. Jungkook, the one who received the question, moved his eyes to the left and right, towards the eyes of person surrounded him.

“Ermmm… I’m not sure, but perhaps, nine?” Already familiar with Taehyung eccentric mind, Jungkook replied hesitantly.

“Hahaha… What are you? A cat?” Dokyeom laughed at Jungkook’s answer.

Followed by his laugh, other boys also laughed awkwardly.

“Well, if that’s what you hope for, then, I will pray God will grant it. As you gonna lose one of it in no time,” Taehyung showed a concerned face.

Once again, Jungkook couldn’t follow his antics. He looked around, tried to find allies that felt the same way as him, yet he couldn’t get what he wanted. Each one of the people in there had the same expressions as Taehyung. He was curious and before he realized what’s make them show an unity like that, he was stupefied as he felt a strong presence behind him.

“Jeon Jungkook,” a sweet yet cold voice who called his name suddenly made him shiver. As if that voice sipping down to their body, the hair on their body stood up.

 “May I have a minute?” that voice asked him again before he could give a response.

All the eyes which stared at him filled with fear. He stared back and send an SOS code, desperately asking for help. Their eyes now showing sympathy. Taehyung was the first one to stood up, followed by the others.

“Sure, go ahead. Then, have a good time you two,” said Mingyu.

Jungkook was speechless. A cold blade just stabbed his heart. He just received betrayal from his closest comrades. With a long sigh, he stood up and turned his body. Once he faced her, he scanned her face down to her arms and wrists. There was no bruise on it that made him let out a relief sigh for the nth time. He knew he was overreacting but still he was so grateful that she was safe and sound. After checking on her condition, he turned his attention to her face. She looked calm but he knew there was a lingering anger on it. Surely no matter how kind a person was, there was no way they won't feel bothered by a kind like Junhoe.

Hadn't received an answer, she asked him again. This time Jungkook felt cornered. There was no way he would escape this situation. He took a deep breath. Yes, just face it like a man, he spoke to himself. Before he could afford to answer, someone was catching his attention away. Jaehyun was coming from behind her and took a place beside Jungkook.

“Sorry, Chaeng, but you should wait in line. He had a prior appointment with me,” take a role as spokesperson, Jaehyun declined Chaeyoung invitation on behalf of Jungkook.

Jungkook looked at Jaehyun with questionable eyes. Sensing there was something not right Chaeyoung tried to press Jungkook to spit the truth.

“Is that true? You are not making it up, to avoiding me, right?” she asked Jungkook, demanding the truth.

Jaehyun moved and stood in front of Jungkook as if he wanted to shield him. He then said to Chaeyoung that Jungkook promised to treat him for a drink. As he worked really hard in his place to organize this event and as a form of apology for not showing up on their appointment.

“I am sorry, but Jaehyun is right,” as the subject of their argument, Jungkook speak up.

Chaeyoung looked at him with untrusty eyes, but then gave up and decided to believe him. She then changed her focus to Jaehyun who was showing a winning smile. That smile was truly offensive and made her refuse to back up.

“It’s an urgent matter. So, if you don’t mind, would you mind postponing your bromance time once?” this time, instead of begging Jungkook, she changed his target to Jaehyun.

“My dear Changie, I also had the same urgent matter to discuss with my dearest brother. As you can see, it’s really hard for me to meet him. Rather, is it supposed to be you who should give me this chance? Remember you two can easily meet each other every day,” being challenged, Jaehyun’s competitiveness was awakening. Besides, he wanted to take revenge on her.

Chaeyoung looked at Jungkook with a piercing glance. Clearly Jaehyun didn’t know he had already avoided her for three days or more. Her threatening eyes made Jungkook unconsciously hide behind Jaehyun. Like a little girl hiding from a scary stranger. Watching how his two precious friends were behaving, Jaehyun took a deep breath. It’s not like he was so ignorant to not sensing there was something bad had happened between those two. Yet, from his judgment, tonight wasn’t the right time for them to resolve it. Chaeyoung might look calm, but her encounter with Junhoe clearly disturbed her mood. The same thing applied to Jungkook. Seeing how he was still cowardly running away from her was enough evidence he still not ready to resolve whatever problem they had.

“Then, let Jungkook decide. Who will you choose? Me or Chaeng?” come to conclusion he just an outsider and had no right over Jungkook’s life decision, Jaehyun step aside and give Jungkook a freedom to choose. At least, he already gave his best to aid him.

Now, the attention was back to Jungkook. Couldn’t hold any more pressure, he softly uttered Jaehyun’s name. A cocky smile bloomed on Jaehyun’s handsome face. Not slipping this chance to , he took Jungkook’s hand and linked their fingers together. Before they leave, Jaehyun got closer to her and whispered something in her ears.

“How does it feel to get abandoned? Enjoy my little revenge,” he pulled out and showed an annoying grin and quickly dragged Jungkook away, leaving her behind.

Before they left farther away, Jaehyun turned his head and stick out his tongue. That action gifted him a finger up from her. It was unexpected since she had never been so bold before. He was surprised at first but then burst out laughing after he took a better look and found out it was not the middle one. That hilarious reaction made Jungkook curious. He then turned his head to look at the thing that made Jaehyun laugh. His face turned red when he saw it and quickly turned back his head. Seeing Jungkook strange behaviour made Jaehyun curious and looked back. A smile then bloom on his lips. As she saw him, she quickly subtracts four fingers from her hand that she showed to Jungkook and now she gave him just a one finger up.

***

A large bowl of red soup was brought to the table. The steam made the bowl looked like a miniature of mountain lava. Jaehyun who was busy helping on the kitchen and attending Chaeyoung when she had talk with Junhoe didn’t get the chance to eat proper dinner. So did Jungkook who was busy grilling and talking so that he couldn’t eat to the fullest. The cold night breeze made the steamy hot food in front of them look even tastier. They were gulping down their saliva as soon as the bowl was placed in front of them. Without further wait, their hands quickly grab their own empty smaller bowl and a chopstick.

“Oh, ooh, wait, wait, wait,” Jaehyun quickly stopped Jungkook’s hand that was ready to scoop up the noodle. Jungkook stop midway, wondering what’s with that sudden urgent stop. Jaehyun put down the bowl and the chopstick and quickly took out his phone. The smile that made the dimples on his cheek appeared showed up as he took a picture of the jjamppong bowl.

Seeing what Jaehyun did made Jungkook chuckle. All the people around him slowly getting Taehyungnized. After few shutters, Jungkook impatiently asked whether he now allowed to eat. Jaehyun who was lost in thought for a moment because he was too focused on his phone quickly apologizing and told Jungkook to eat first. Jungkook shook his head while giving a mocking chuckle.

The jjamppong was so tasty that made Jungkook finished the first bowl in no time. He was about to scoop his second bowl and realized Jaehyun hadn’t touched it. It was Jaehyun who was so eager to buy it, yet he was the one who forgot it. In the middle of judging his best friend, Jungkook was coming back to reality as he flinched over Jaehyun’s sudden laughter. His dad-like laughter can be surprising sometimes. That made Jungkook wonder what happened inside the tiny device in his hand.

“Hahaha she is hilarious. What should I do, I already miss her,” said Jaehyun while putting his phone down on the table and finally about to devour the soup which started to cooled down.

Jungkook choked on the spicy soup. He was coughing and with teary eyes raised his hand asking for a bottle of water. After soothing his throat with water and did a little coughing, he continued eating the half-eaten jjamppong.

“You… have a girlfriend?” After clearing his throat, Jungkook was asking about the thing that made him choked.

Jaehyun lifted his face out from the bowl. He gave a serious look on Jungkook. Thinking about why Jungkook was suddenly asking that question. While munching on chewy squid, he remembered his last comment that led Jungkook to think that way.

“Oh, that. I am talking about Chaeyoung,” Jaehyun answered nonchalantly.

Jungkook frowned. Jaehyun didn’t answer his question clearly so he couldn’t make a conclusion. His first attempt to digging about the thing that made him act like pitiful brokenhearted mad man these past days was failed. His curiosity didn’t get fulfilled.

The first round of their culinary journey ended by the time they cleaned the bowl. Jaehyun wipe his lips with tissue and his eyes were glued to the menu. Thinking about what he should order next. His option fall to tteokppokki and sundae set. The locals were highly praising this menu so that he had no reason to not try it.

Just like the jjamppong, once the food arrived, Jaehyun took a picture and after he satisfied, he gave permission to Jungkook to eat. Curious, Jungkook asked why Jaehyun suddenly acted like Taehyung and what he uses the picture for. Jaehyun smiled while hearing his innocent question but didn’t reply to him immediately. After he successfully sending the picture and got a replied from the recipient, he shifted his attention back to the person in front of him.

“I sent it to Chaeng. Whenever I eat delicious food, I always take a picture and send it to her. As you know, she is the same breed as Taehyung when it comes to food. They both go crazy whenever I brag about discovering a hidden gem or try the food their recommending,” to remind Jungkook that he paid attention to him, Jaehyun gave a sincere and detailed answer before he was digging on the food.

Jungkook look at him and completely understand what he was talking about. He also experienced the same thing. But the difference was, he never sent her a picture because most of the time he went to makjib house with her. He wasn’t a foodie but never refused to eat anything his foodie friends suggested to.

“I used to get annoyed whenever she forbids me from eating until she got the best shots. Yet now, I did the same thing to you. Hahaha… I am sorry. It’s somehow contagious and I developed a new habit because of her. How about you? Aren’t you two also often try new restaurants? She sent me a lot of pictures and bragging about it,” Jaehyun put a large soondae piece into his mouth after asking that question.

“So, she shares everything with Jaehyun” Jungkook was having a conversation with himself as he heard what Jaehyun said. It’s not surprising but he felt like his heart got pierced by needles. That even made his tongue paralyzed so that he couldn’t say any word as a respond. To not make it obvious, he kept on stuffing his mouth with more food.

“It’s not something special. We just happened to have business in the same area. So, yeah, it’s inevitable to want to eat different food every day. Besides, she is my tutor, so…,” Jungkook couldn’t say more as the alcohol on their table was empty. He raised his hand and asked for the third bottle.

“Still… I envy you. You can meet up with her almost every day,” Jungkook observed Jaehyun’s face when he said that. He was smiling but his face clearly showed a deep sadness.

“Hahaha… what’s with the long face? You still can see her on weekend, right?” Jungkook tried to cheer him up by pouring the soju into his empty glass. He raised his glass and asked for a cheer.

“But still… It’s not enough,” Jaehyun raised his glass and clinked it with Jungkook’s.

“Why you should be so overdramatic. You act like you would never see her again for a long time” Jungkook finished his drink in one shot and teased Jaehyun for his whining. He took a sneak peek at Jaehyun and surprisingly, Jaehyun looked at Jungkook with a serious face filled with sorrow. Jungkook felt bad at him but at the same time his heart ached even more. They were eating in silence for a few minutes before it was broken by Jungkook’s sudden giggle.

“You know. You kinda remind me of my uncle. I once accompanied him to drop his wife off, and not even a second, he said he already missed her. Your behaviour right now, truly can get people mistaken that you are madly in love with her,” Jungkook finally decided to continue his mission. Although it left a bitter taste in his mouth after he said it with a cheerful voice. Again, Jungkook was carefully watching Jaehyun’s facial expression. Unfortunately, what he saw made his heart sank deep into the ocean.

Jaehyun’s face was completely changed. He didn’t look at Jungkook like before, instead, he was playing with his food. The vibe around him also turned so gloomy as if there was a sudden cloud surrounding him. Now, he regretted what he just did. From the start, he knew it was a double-edged sword. He believed by fulfilling his curiosity, the sleepless and anxious night would be over. Yet, he truly didn’t want to hear anything from Jaehyun. Afraid, another problem would rise when he finally knew the truth. Cursing his own action, Jungkook shifted his attention to the bowl. The thick sauce, the white chewy rice cake, and the fat sundae. He wondered what he should eat next, and decided to stab two chewy rice cakes and put it into his mouth. Those two would take time to chew, so it will buy him time to speak.

Jungkook’s jaw stopped moving and slowly shifted his eyes from the bowl to Jaehyun as he suddenly felt Jaehyun was staring sharply at him. His heart was pounding because the expression showed on Jaehyun’s face. That handsome face was showing a difficult-to-interpret expression.

“You, perhaps… You haven't heard about it?” Jaehyun broke the silence.

Thump! Jungkook felt like he just had a heart attack. Heard about what? Perhaps it's about the secret that the employee of the coffee shop was keeping out from him?

“I don't know what you are talking about. Heard about what?” Jungkook was hiding his nervousness and pretending to be clueless.

Jaehyun kept his mouth shut but his eyes still staring deeply into Jungkook's eyes. He was thinking and deliberating. The longer time Jaehyun took to think, the anxious Jungkook become.

“Sorry, I can't tell you,”After a long deliberation, he finally spoke.

“Why???!!!” surprised with the respond, Jungkook unconsciously raised his voice.

“You should hear directly from her,” he calmly answered.

“Oh, come on. I bet everyone already knows about it except me. It doesn't make any difference whoever it is that will tell me. I'm dying with curiosity right now," Jungkook didn't want to lose and tried to persuade him.

“Of course, it is different,” he didn't waver from his persuasion.

“What's makes it different?” Jungkook challenged him to give a reasonable reason.

Hearing it, made Jaehyun averted his eyes. With a low and soft voice, he said it was because of Chaeyoung and Jungkook's relationship. Jungkook's eyes widened. He couldn't understand what Jaehyun meant by it. Did Chaeyoung tell Jaehyun that he confessed to her? That's why it's better if she was the one who directly told him about this so that he won't get too hurt. Thinking about it again, she seems to tell Jaehyun about her life. He knew about trivial things about them visiting a new restaurant, so, there was no way he didn't tell him about his confession.

“But, aren't you involved in this too?” he had already put one of his legs on the muddy water, so there wouldn't be any difference if he put the other one on it as it's already got dirty. He also thought that it was better to get hurt in one blow rather than suffer a small cut for a long time.

“Well… More or less, yes. Still, I can't tell you. I am sorry," like a great wall, Jaehyun's defense was still going strong which made it impossible to penetrate.

Now that the situation was getting a bit tense, they started to get uncomfortable. Luckily, it was broken thanks to the incoming call for Jaehyun. While Jaehyun picked up the phone, Jungkook ordered one more bottle of beer and two sets of fish cakes. Although he was trying so hard not to eavesdrop, he couldn't stop his healthy ears from listening to it. Unconsciously, he kept on observing Jaehyun, from his gesture to his voice.

The more he listened and watched, the more he felt jealous. Even from earlier, he was jealous of the way those two were bickering. They seemed so used to it, so it didn't feel like they were arguing, instead, it looked so intimate and showed their close bond. That made him wonder, whether his interaction with Chaeyoung made them look like close friends.

For outsiders, when they hear Jaehyun's words, they might think he was being so cruel and rude. But, his facial expression clearly showed the opposite. He was smiling lovingly, and his face expressed affection whenever he heard her response. He acted like a big brother who loved to tease his younger sister until she cried. Not out of hate, but out of love and adoration.

Realized he was staring and eavesdropping for too long, his brain told him to stop cause it was a bit unethical. So, he took his phone out to distract his mind and to show he gave Jaehyun some privacy. While scrolling through his messaging application, he stopped at a contact name he saved as "Jimin's sister" and read a message that he hadn't replied to. He was staring at it and unconsciously his mind was wandering.

What's the name Jaehyun uses to save her contact?

Before his mind wandered too far, Jaehyun brought him back to its current place by calling out his name. His phone call has ended. He said Chaeyoung warned them not to go out for too long. Jungkook looked at the time and nodded. It hadn't hit 10 PM yet, she considered it too late. A smile bloomed on his lips as he thought how tough Jimin's life was to have an overprotective sister like him.

Jaehyun was so occupied with the phone call that he did not realize Jungkook ordered new food. Seeing new food on their table made Jaehyun grin. He took his chopstick and put one fish cake piece into his mouth. In no time, the fish cakes along with the soup were gone from the bowl. Jungkook chuckled but then asked the owner for another set. For a while, they weren't saying anything and just enjoying the alcohol, the food, and the night breeze. Once they were a little drowsy, they began to talk again to chase it away. It's been so long since they were having an intimate quality time like this, so they don't want to go home yet. Like old-time friends, they began to talk about their daily life. The conversation flew naturally and there was no moment of silence.

Without them realizing it, the second bowl of fish cakes was gone. Jaehyun smiled, raised his hand, and ordered one portion of mandu. His action made Jungkook sneer at him. Jaehyun smiled and said he couldn't miss the rare opportunity to spend Jungkook's money. He should utilize it to the maximum extent. His comments made them fall into laughter.

The night was getting colder, and their stomachs couldn’t store any more food. This third plate of mandu will be their last plate of the day. Jaehyun poured their empty glass with the crystal-clear alcohol, and they made a toast before gulping it down. Now they were sleepy, a bit tipsy and full. Without being told, they knew it was time for them to go home.

“This night breeze made me sleepy. Hey, Kook, can you give me a piggyback ride to the villa?” said Jaehyun while closing his eyes and cupped his face on his palms.

“Sure. My stomach was about to burst anyway. It will become a good exercise. But I have one condition,” Jungkook responded to his ridiculous request.

“What?” he opened his drowsy eyes and asked with a sleepy voice.

“Pay me ten times the taxi fee,” Jungkook smirked.

Jaehyun scoffed then poured another glass and gulped it down. He then lazily took his chopstick and took a piece of mandu into his mouth.

“You know what, I said my stomach was full but strangely I couldn’t stop munching on the food,” just like Jaehyun, Jungkook also eating another piece.

Jaehyun giggled and said he could understand why Taehyung would go anywhere just to discover a tasty restaurant. He didn’t and never do drugs, but he thought tasty food was the same as drugs. You could get addicted to it. Now, there were only two pieces of mandu left on the plate. Seeing it made drunk Jungkook have a random thought.

“Say, if there is only one mandu left on the buffet and both of us are about to take it at the same time. Will you still take it or will you give it to me?” Jungkook started a nonsense debate they used to have back when they were still in the soccer club.

“I will take it. I am not that kind to give you my favorite food for free,” kind of missing this old tradition, Jaehyun welcomed Jungkook's invitation to this dumb and nonsense debate.

“What if I tell you that I truly love it? You still won’t give it to me?” asked Jungkook.

“Hmm… If that’s the case, then I will challenge you. Whoever wins, will have the right to eat the last piece,” he answered while smiling.

Jungkook chuckled and said Jaehyun should go to the doctor to cure his over-competitive disease. Jaehyun smiled and said he would consider it, and then they both laughed.

“Then, what about you? Will you give it to me?” Jaehyun threw back the same question after the laugh subsided.

Jungkook took a moment to think. He then said he would consider it, depending on what Jaehyun said to persuade him.

“If I said I love it, will you give it to me?” He sounded so serious but actually, he just repeating the same question Jungkook had given him.

“Of course, I will,” without any hesitation, he answered.

“Even if you also like it? I mean you love it to the point you could die for it?” somehow, Jaehyun started to take this conversation to a more serious level.

“Hahaha… What are you talking about? There is no way I am willing to die just for mandu,” Jungkook found this conversation getting ridiculous, so he wanted to end it.

“Then, if it’s that case. I will never tell you about what I like,” he said while pouting and playing around with his glass.

Although all of them were hit the age of an adult, they didn't get the chance to have a drink together till they were drunk. Because of it, Jungkook never saw his friends drinking habit. From what he heard, most of them, except Taehyung, could hold their liquor very well. Among them, the strongest were Jaehyun, Mingyu, and himself. Now that he seems to get the chance to witness Jaehyun’s drinking habit, he is so satisfied. It made him smile and ended up laughing. Whining, sulking, and pouting seemed to not sit well with Jaehyun’s image, yet, when he witnessed it, it suited him like a glove.

"Why you won't tell me?" he asked Jaehyun.

"Cause you will give everything I like for free. I hate it," Jaehyun looked at him with annoyance.

"Isn't that a good thing? Why bother to compete if you can get it without spending any drop of energy?" Jungkook answered nonchalantly.

Seeing how Jungkook being unserious, made Jaehyun sulking even more. He purposely exhaled loudly, emptied his glass, and poured another soju onto it. He poured it slowly into his glass and stopped right before it was spilled.

“Does taking a break from soccer turn you into a softie?” said Jaehyun after putting down the bottle. His eyes now stared at Jungkook who also stared back at him. Their staring contest which didn’t last for three seconds ended because Jungkook averted his eyes first.

“The Jungkook I know is very competitive. No matter how strong the opponent is, you never give up. You even lit the fire for us when it’s almost extinguished. I will be disappointed if you turn out to be someone who easily gives up only to please people,” without waiting for Jungkook's answer, Jaehyun continued his rhetoric.

The cold night breeze was sneaking through the tent. Those two boys suddenly hugged their own bodies to give a bit of warmth to it. The wind seemed like it was bringing along the silence when it passed through. Now, after a long while they both were sitting in silence, staring blankly at their soju's glasses, fighting against their own mind.

“It’s not like I don’t like competition anymore. I just think not everything can be turned into competition. It’s exhausting to always try to compete with every single thing,” Jungkook felt the need to explain his answer to Jaehyun. It’s been so long since they met and had a deep talk. Moreover, last week he had intentionally abandoned him. If he didn’t want to risk his good relationship with Jaehyun, he shouldn’t irk him even more.

“Then, do you think competing over something that you like is also not worthy?” Jaehyun’s words stabbed Jungkook in the heart. Jaehyun was right, if he gave his mandu away just because he knew Jaehyun loved it, it won’t be fair, to himself.

Once again there was a long pause, and it was so quiet. Neither of them seems to have any energy to continue this debate. Jungkook looked at the plate and there were two pieces of mandu left. He took one of it with a chopstick. Right before he put it into his mouth, a group of new customers was coming in. The place was too narrow and one of them accidentally bumped into Jungkook. The customer quickly apologized and Jungkook just gave him a nod to ensure he was fine. After the group found their seat, Jungkook looked beneath the table. He then picked up the mandu that fell. It's not polite if the owner saw her food on the floor, so he wrapped it in a tissue and threw it out later.

“Hahahaha…,” out of nowhere Jaehyun burst into laughter. He laughed so loud that caught the attention of the customers inside the tent. Embarrassed, Jungkook bowed his head to apologize to each eye looked at them both then turned to looked at Jaehyun with a slightly annoyed face.

Jungkook looked at him like he was some weirdo. There was no doubt, that Jaehyun was drunk. Afraid he would do something more embarrassing, Jungkook took the alcohol bottle and moved it away from Jaehyun. He poured the liquid into his glass and put it in a place that was hard to reach for Jaehyun. After he gulped the alcohol in one shot, he was craving something to eat. He looked at the plate and chuckled. A second later, he joined Jaehyun for a laugh.

Now, the topic of their debate was becoming real. There was only one mandu left on the plate.

“You are right. I might be losing myself recently. I realized I am not being myself,” Jungkook was showing a cheeky smile when admitted he was losing.

“Nah, you are not wrong. As we grow older, we slowly become tired of this life. Instead of fighting over it, we tend to run away whenever we face an unwanted situation. It’s our defense mechanism to keep our heart safe from breaking,” what Jungkook said was right. As he entered college, he rather run away and give up than sparkling a conflict

“Ooohh, as expected. The university student’s mindset is different,” Jungkook grinning and teasing Jaehyun for his wise comment. His teasing successfully loosened up the tension they created a while ago.

Jaehyun laughed and said Jungkook should practice calling him sunbae from now on. Who knows, he might entered the same school as him. Jungkook playfully nodded and talked to him with formal language. Tired of laughing, they sipped their alcohol in synchronized motion. It’s their sixth bottle and they haven’t shown any slight drunkenness. Yet, they decided in silence, it would be their last bottle.

“So, what will you do with this mandu?” asked Jaehyun when he finally poured the last drop of Soju into his glass.

Jungkook smirked and said it was up to him. He dropped his mandu, so it was basically Jaehyun’s.

“You know, I am not going to do anything to something that isn’t mine. You are the one who bought it, so it’s yours,” Jaehyun insisted.

“But I bought it for you, so it’s basically yours. Don’t worry, I don’t like mandu that much that I’d die for it,” Jungkook was being persisted.

Jaehyun giggled at their silliness for declining to take custody of that lonely mandu. He stared at that mandu and after a second, he made his decision. He took his chopstick with both hands, stabbed it in the middle, and divided it into two.

“Why do you look like that? Is it really surprising?” asked Jaehyun to Jungkook who was dumbfounded at what he just saw.

Jaehyun put the half piece into his mouth and slid the plate with the remaining half to Jungkook. Jungkook was just too surprised, so he just stared at half mandu which had already burst out.

“Why?” he asked unconsciously.

“Someone said, food tastes even better when you share it,” he answered nonchalantly.

“But, you said you like it,” Jungkook looked at him with an unbelievable gaze.

“Hahaha… Dude, why did you take it so seriously? It’s just a mandu anyway. I am not such a prick to pick a fight over a piece of mandu,” Jaehyun found Jungkook’s dumbfounded face cute.

Jaehyun drank up the last glass of soju. About to get ready to leave but couldn’t just stand up cause Jungkook still hadn’t eaten the mandu. A mischievous thought came into his mind. He took his chopstick back and grabbed that mandu with it.

“Don’t be shy. Say aaa,” said Jaehyun while holding the mandu and leaning closer to Jungkook to feed him.

“What the hell are you doing,” Jungkook pushed Jaehyun’s hand away and nervously looked around.

“Eungg… don’t be like that. I will be sad if you do not eat it. Come on, here, don’t be shy. Say AAA,” didn’t care about his surroundings, Jaehyun showed an aegyo and purposely raised his voice.

Now, all the customers were secretly glaring in their direction. They started to whisper and Jungkook was able to hear some of it. Thanks to the cramped place. Strongly refused to eat it, but knew Jaehyun was as stubborn as a stone, so shyly, he opened his mouth and Jaehyun happily fed him.

“Aww, what a good boy. You do well, babe,” Jaehyun was holding back his laughter as he saw Jungkook’s face turning beet red.

Couldn’t stand the embarrassment, Jungkook stood up and headed to the owner of the food tent to pay for their orders. But, before he finished the payment, Jaehyun ordered one portion of ttoekpokki to go. Jungkook glared at him, but Jaehyun just shrugged. A soft sigh was heard and Jungkook asked the owner to continue proceeding with their pending transaction. After receiving a plastic filled with tteokpooki, Jaehyun walked out first.

The distance to their accommodation wasn’t too far. It’s a perfect distance to digest all the food they just consumed. On their way, Jungkook asked Jaehyun why he was so obsessed with competition. He even declared to the whole world that Jungkook was his eternal enemy. This means, he always takes it seriously no matter how trivial the competition is if the rival is Jungkook. It wasn’t like Jungkook didn’t like it, he also had that competitive spirit, and he always welcomed any challenge, but he was just curious why he got the honor to get the title of Jaehyun’s eternal enemy.

A smirk showed on Jaehyun's face as Jungkook finished his question. Before he answered, he asked Jungkook whether he was sure he wanted to listen to his answer. Jungkook nodded and promised he won’t get mad or anything. So Jaehyun began tracing his memory lane back to his kindergarten days.

Grew up without siblings and had no cousins or family around his age, Jaehyun used to spend his time with his mom or grandparents. Afraid Jaehyun might get lonely, his parents decided to enroll him in daycare and later to kindergarten so that he could interact with his peers.

Besides being gifted with superior genes, ever since he was a baby, he was given nutritional food, grew up in a good environment, and was exposed to adequate education. Those factors more or less, caused him to grow up as an extraordinary child. He excelled in everything. Academic, art, and sport. Nothing he couldn't do as long as he had enough time to learn. To be noted the time he needed to learn something new was shorter than average. It made his friends jealous of him.

As he grew older, the intensity of his friends saying “Jaehyun is unreachable. No one can compete with him,” increased. That’s why he started to slack off and just do everything moderately. Not being able to fulfill his curiosity and give his best so that he could match with his friends, kills his excitement. Slow but sure, he started to get bored. Until he met Eunwoo, who was a par to him. Unfortunately, Eunwoo is just a soft-hearted boy who hates competition. Unlike Jaehyun, he had three brothers which made him have to compete every single day. It made him tired and chose peace over war.

“It was so boring until I met you. You are very passionate. Moreover, despite being gifted, you also trying so hard to give your best. Most of the people who know me always give up before they even try whenever they know they are competing against me. Yet, you, were always on fire to challenge someone better than you. I finally tasted the sweetness of competition again after so long. I can be myself again. And no matter how trivial, you never look down at anything and strongly hate to lose.” Jaehyun looked at the calm dark sea as he reminisced about his past.

Hearing Jaehyun's sincere and honest opinion made Jungkook blush in embarrassment. He never knew his existence was so meaningful for Jaehyun. From Jaehyun’s perspective, he looked like someone who was overwhelmed with confidence. However, in reality, he was no different from Jaehyun’s friend. Not gonna lie, he also felt insecure whenever he had to compete with the epitome of perfection, Jung Jaehyun. But the thrill he got from competing with Jaehyun was so great that made him forget about all his insecurity.

“You know the type I hate the most is the gifted but hardworking. You and her. You guys are the same,” said Jaehyun while looking at the night sky. Jungkook didn’t say a word. He never thought he was gifted before. But, hearing it from Jaehyun truly boosted his confidence which almost crumbled into pieces for the last few days. Hearing no response from Jungkook made Jaehyun turn his head to look at him. He was smiling seeing Jungkook who showed a satisfied and grateful look. Happy with the result, Jaehyun turned his head again and focused on the road. In no time they will arrive at the accommodation.

“By the way, what happened back then? What did she do to that jerk?” Jungkook finally asked the question that kept circling in his mind during the event.

Jaehyun giggled and said he didn’t know either. Once Jungkook left, she told Jaehyun to wait in front of the door and forbade him to enter. Jungkook looked at him in disbelief.

“Nobody knew what happened inside. It’s only her, Haechan, and that jerk,” Jaehyun said showing a bitter smile. Both unconsciously let out a deep sigh. Unless Haechan opened his mouth, what happened inside that room would forever become a mystery.

“She is so damn scary,” Jaehyun uttered a word that couldn’t be said by others, including Jungkook.

“Yeah. If anyone said she is a demon disguised as an angel, I 100% believe it. No doubt,” Jungkook was rubbing his arms as the hairs suddenly stood up at the thought of her.

Later, they laughed at their fear. As the laughter subsided, they continued their night stroll in silence. And sometimes talked about their plan until they arrived at the villa’s gate.

“Chaeng! What are you doing here? I told you not to wait for us!” Jaehyun hurriedly ran over to her as soon as he opened the gate and saw her waiting on the porch.

Chaeyoung looked at him with an annoyed face but then moved her head to see behind Jaehyun. As Jungkook finally entered the gate, she rose from the chair and walked over to the gate to lock it. Her Dad didn’t hire a security guard to cut off some expenses. Although Jeju was relatively safe, since most of the guests were minors, they had a big responsibility to ensure their safety. So, her dad decided to lock the main gate when it hit the curfew.

“I told you not to come back so late. Look what time is it now. Hufft… Never mind. You guys must be tired. “Now, go to your room,” Chaeyoung ordered both boys who smelled like alcohol.

“I am sorry. Don’t be mad,” Jaehyun handed her a plastic of tteokpokki he begged Jungkook to buy as a bribe to cool down her anger.

She looked at Jaehyun with a deadly stare and later glimpsed Jungkook. Jungkook flinched and panicked. Lucky, she then moved her attention back to Jaehyun. Knowing she was weak towards food, Chaeyoung gave up and took the bribe. Jaehyun smiled cause his tactic was successful. Sadly, it didn’t fully work out as she continued to nag. She told them to go right to their room. Not wandering around and making chaos.

Like a filial kid, Jaehyun nodded at every single word she said. As the nagging session finished, Jaehyun gave a bow and Jungkook copied him.

“I am sorry for making you wait. Come inside. You will catch a cold,” Jaehyun apologized before they left.

“It’s fine. Just go,” she pushed him away so that he would move. He smiled and unconsciously he raised his hand and patted her head. She flinched but let him be.

Jungkook just stood where he was without even looking away. He witnessed their closeness with jealousy. When he was staring at them, his eyes met her. He quickly averted his eyes and was about to leave.

“Jeon Jungkook!” she called.

Jungkook stopped his step. His heart started to pound. Worrying if she wanted to continue her request to talk with him. Despite his fear, he still turned around to be polite.

“Thank you for today,” gratitude came out from her.

Jungkook looked so dumbfounded cause his presumption was wrong.

“For this tteokpokki and for defending me against that jerk,” she smiled, and it made his face get red. Afraid his feelings would show, he only nodded and quickly turned around and hurriedly headed to his room.

***

The dazzling sunlight fell into Jungkook’s face. Slowly he opened his eyes. It was too dazzling so that he moved his head to the other side. His hand then wandered around the bed to find his phone. His eyes were shut tight as if they were glued. Hardly he opened it and checked the time on his phone. It’s 7.23 AM. With a lazy voice, he asked Seungkwan about the schedule. Seungkwan said they should be ready at 8 to have breakfast. Then they were free to wander around Jeju. Their flight was at 18.15 so they should be back at the accommodation maximum at 15.00. Jungkook nodded and went back to sleep.

Last night he had a hard time falling asleep. After cleaning himself and lying down on the bed. He was replaying what just happened in a day. But what made him stay awake was his conversation with Jaehyun. He deeply thought and reflected. Without realizing it, the clock was showing 03.00 AM.

“Dude, wake up. You can use the bathroom now. Hurry or you won’t get breakfast,” Dokyeom warned him and pulled the blanket to force him to wake up.

Lazily, Jungkook got up from the bed and headed to the bathroom. He was lucky to win the lottery and get the largest room with a private bathroom. The others should share the bathroom and sleep in the living room. Once he finished, his roommates were already gone. His stomach started to groan so he quickly dressed and went out.

He was grabbing the handle and about to open the door, but he held it. Slowly he put his ear on the door and tried to hear any sound. There was no sound heard. It’s clear. So he quietly walked out of the room. Now, the next obstacle he should clear was the corridor. He peaked outside and after ensuring no object was found, he quickly walked out. Now, he was finally outside the villa and about to head to the restaurant when someone suddenly scared him by grabbing onto his shoulder.

“BOO!” that person shouted that made Jungkook jump in a scare.

“What the hell are you doing? Sneaking around like a thief?” Minghao who didn’t know why Jungkook was playing hide and seek by himself found his action funny.

Jungkook laughed and said he wasn’t sneaking around. It’s just, the sun was too hot so that he couldn’t handle it. Minghao frowned because he couldn’t understand that nonsense reason. But he quickly forgot it and dragged Jungkook to the restaurant. Jungkook breathed in relief cause Minghao was escorting him. When they arrived at the restaurant, Chaeyoung was passing through them while bringing the additional utensils. Just like yesterday, Jungkook quickly avoided her by suddenly talking to Minghao. He was glad Minghao didn’t know anything about her. If not, he would receive another nag.

“Jungkook, can you ask the owner if they can order a takeaway? This Jeju black pork is delicious. My wife wants to try it,” asked the teacher. Jungkook looked around and found out he was the only senior at that table so there was no wonder the teacher asked him. Without any choice, he nodded and headed to the kitchen.

“Do you need anything?” asked the kitchen staff.

Jungkook was so glad because it was not her. He then delivered the question of his teacher. The kitchen staff said he would ask the boss and would tell him later. He nodded and headed back to the restaurant. Not long after, Chaeyoung showed up and came over to his table. After passing the answer to the teacher, she stole a glance at Jungkook. Yet, she didn’t say anything and just left. As soon as she left, Jungkook felt a vibration in his pants pocket.

“Tell me when you are free. I urgently need to talk to you,”

Jungkook read it while holding his breath. He was about to type the answer but then a new message came.

“I won’t take long. Just 5 minutes is okay,”

Reading the text made him remember what he deeply thought last night. He was drowning in his thoughts which made him couldn’t hear Namjoon calling for him. The teacher even had to shake his shoulder to wake him up from his thoughts. He was flinching and quickly got his focus back.

There were no rules on the second day. All the soccer club members were free to go anywhere with anyone. As for Jungkook’s group, they decided to go snorkeling. After breakfast and packing their things, they will gather at the main gate at 10. Jungkook was the first one to arrive at the meeting point and announced it on the group chat. A second later, he received a personal message from Taehyung that told him to go to the backyard. He said the meeting point had changed. Without further thought, he took his bag and confidently walked towards the backyard.

He arrived at the backyard, but no one was there. He thought, perhaps, they were still packing their belongings. While he was waiting, he was playing with his phone. A new message was coming. It was from one of his juniors who will join his group for snorkeling. He was asking Jungkook’s whereabouts since he already announced he arrived at the meeting point. The junior was waiting at the main gate as instructed. He was a bit confused and about to tell the junior the meeting point had changed. But, before he had a chance to reply to a message, someone was calling his name. He turned his head and was surprised at what he saw.

“It’s so hard to have an audience with you,” she said.

Jungkook didn’t say anything. He finally realized that Taehyung was backstabbing him. Now he was trapped in this unwanted situation. Aware that he felt uncomfortable, Chaeyoung said if he wanted to leave, then just leave.

“I won’t force you. But I just ask you for one thing. I don’t want you to get mad at your friends for ratting you out. They have a reason to do that,” she said nonchalantly and took a seat on the bench.

Jungkook stopped moving. What she said sounded like a request, but Jungkook knew there was a threat behind it. It means, that what she wanted to say was so important that even made his friends took a risk to betray him. If he leaves now, he will regret it.

Looking at the exit direction and the bench back and forth, he finally decided to end this hide-and-seek game. He took a seat next to her as a gesture he would like to talk.

“I will go to America next week,” she said what she wanted to say without even caring to give an opening speech.

“Oh, great. For vacation? Jaehyun also went to America often to visit his father. Perhaps you two going together?” Hearing the out of nowhere statements confused Jungkook. It made him mutter whatever he had in his head as a response. Since Jaehyun has become his main concern since last night he used his name unconsciously.

“No. I got accepted for a scholarship. So, I won't be back for 4 years,” she said.

The news was too shocking for him. It was too sudden and made him doubt what he just heard. He turned his head and looked at her in silence.

“Drrrt…” Jungkook’s phone was vibrating. Out of reflexes, both were looking at it. Namjoon was calling. She remembered she promised him it to only take 5 minutes and asked Jungkook whether he could answer the phone call later. Jungkook agreed with her, declined the phone call, and sent the template message that he would call back later.

“Remember the questions I asked you the other day in front of your house?” she asked him like it was nothing while Jungkook was blushing in red remembering her aggressive act. He then shyly nodded to answer her question.

“I don’t want to leave without giving you a proper answer. Four years isn’t a short time. I don’t want to leave you hanging. So, although you said you don’t want my answer, I thought I must tell you about my feelings,” she cut eye contact and shifted her gaze to hydrangea flowers.

Jungkook didn’t say anything. He was so nervous that he couldn’t say a single word. The only thing he could do was wait for her to speak. Waiting was so nerve-wracking. His heart was thumping, and his palms were sweating. The time needed to wait was suffocating, yet he didn’t want to fast forward it.

“So…,” she said the first word after a long pause.

Jungkook was gulping. He felt like a criminal waiting for his verdict.

“Regarding your confession. My answer is…,”

***

The Untold Story

 

“You, wait here,” said Chaeyoung to Jaehyun once they arrived at the door of the empty restaurant. Jaehyun’s eyes widened due to shock. Able to read his worries, she assured him that everything would be fine. Knowing her character, it would be useless to protest so he just nodded and waited outside.

“Hahaha, you are truly amazing. Your prince truly acts like a loyal dog,” Junhoe sneered at Jaehyun before he followed her inside.

“Do you envy him? Want me to treat you like that too?” Chaeyoung looked at him with a mysterious smile. Junhoe looked at her in disbelief. But somehow, his heart was thumping after hearing it. He was stunned so he couldn’t respond to it.

Now that they were inside. The first thing she did was tell Junhoe that she would make a video call with Jaehyun but the audio would be muted. He gave his permission without any complaints. The next thing she did was sit across from him. The restaurant was so quiet, and only a few lamps were . Somehow it felt like an interrogation room.

“Ehemm… So, how have you been?” Junhoe broke this creepy silence. His voice now became bright and friendly. Unlike the tone he used before.

“Didn’t I already answer that question earlier?” she replied with a bright smile.

“Ah, ya. You are right. Well… Eumm… By the way, as I looked closely, it seemed like you are prettier than the last time I saw you,” Junhoe’s face slowly turned pinkish as he said it. Not only that, but his attitude also drastically changed, the way he spoke, the way he sat, and the way he behaved.

“Thank you. You have also changed so much since the last time we met. Or should I say, you have completely changed? Like a new person. Looking at you now, made me regret my actions in the past,” she said while keeping the sweet smile to be displayed on her pretty face.

Hearing her words made Junhoe blush. He then proudly said he had changed a lot. Not only did he get taller and get a healthy body, but also, he also paid more attention to his style and appearance. He then said it’s thanks to her advice that he started to take better care of himself. She who was listening to it just smiled sweetly. That small reaction was enough to make his heart jump in joy.

“Knock knock,” the door was knocked. They both looked at the source of the sound. Chaeyoung stood up and walked towards it. She opened the door, let the guest in, and told Jaehyun she would turn off the video call. Haechan was here so she would be okay. Without any complaint, Jaehyun nodded and patiently waited for her outside the restaurant like a loyal bodyguard.

Before heading to the table, Chaeyoung gave a warning and asked for agreement from Haechan. He hesitated but, in the end, agreed. Despite his fear and trauma, he felt like he could trust her. She didn’t say any persuasive words, but her smile and calming aura were enough to make him believe, that as long as she was there, everything would be okay.

“What the hell is this?!” Junhoe asked Chaeyoung as soon as they sat down. He got so irritated knowing he had been deceived by her. He thought she wanted to talk with, just two of them.

Haechan who couldn’t overcome his fear was only able to look down and put his hands together as if he was praying. Could feel Haechan’s fear, Chaeyoung put her hand on Haechan’s hands to convey that he wasn’t alone.

“Apologize,” she said with a calm voice to Junhoe.

“Like hell, I will,” Junhoe strongly refused. He was furious cause she fraud him. The real reason for this private time wasn’t because she wanted to talk with him. But because of that brat.

“Right. You shouldn’t just apologize. You should kneel and beg for his forgiveness,” Chaeyoung said without any malice in her voice. Not only that, but she also maintained the same smile she had shown since the first time they sat down at this table. Her expression and her words didn’t match. That contradiction gave a chill to both the men who sat together with her.

“What nonsense!” couldn’t stand it, Junhoe stood up aggressively and even made the chair fall. He tried to intimidate her by showing a fierce expression, but she looked up at him and smiled. Her response made him couldn’t stand it which made him walk away from the table.

“Sit,” the room was so quiet that even when she didn’t say it loud enough, Junhoe could hear it. Out of reflex, he stopped.

“Come back here unless you want your dark past to get revealed to the world,” she said with a bright voice as if she wanted to persuade a child who didn’t want to go to school.

Gulping down his saliva, Junhoe turned around and looked at her.

“What do you mean?” he asked without even moving from his location.

“You said you want to talk. So why won’t you come and sit down so we can talk about our fond memories?” she knocked on the table with her index finger and gestured for him to come over.

Junhoe was curious but also afraid. Seeing her mysterious smile made him give up. he came back, put the fallen chair up, and sat down.

“Remember during our elementary school? There was a small boy who was wearing glasses and always brought those thick textbooks. I felt bad for him cause the popular boys were using him as an errand boy, a slave, an ATM, a model, and even a notorious research object,” she enthusiastically began the reminiscence session.

Junhoe’s eyes were shaking. A sudden flashback was playing in his brain. The dark memories he locked into a chest and buried deep down in his heart suddenly resurfaced.

“What the are you trying to pull?” didn’t want to hear more of the story, he cut her and asked her main purpose.

“Like I said. Kneel and beg for his forgiveness,” she answered nonchalantly.

“Hahahaha… So, you threaten me with my past? That’s cute. Who on earth will believe it? Even when you are blabbering about it to the in whole world no one will believe you,” he was laughing to hide his nervousness.

“Without proof, yes. It will,” she agreed easily which made him frown. She then scrolled through her phone.

“Eating the spat soup, posing like a Cupid statue. Without pants of course. Belly dancing, what else… Lemme see,” she uttered random words. Being a bystander since the beginning, Haechan seems to not get what those two were talking about. He just listened to it and tried to stick together their conversation and build it into one frame. On the opposite, Junhoe was sitting nervously with a cold sweat running down his face and palms.

He remembered. Chaeyoung’s aunt was the lawyer who helped his parents report the bullying case to the school committee. The bullies’ parents weren't ordinary people. There was no way he could win the case without solid proof. Now, he wondered, where could her aunt get the proof? If it’s not from the CCTV, it was most likely from the students. And… the student who was brave enough to collect proof and be a witness, it’s her.

Junhoe nervously looked at her while clenching his teeth and his hands. She didn’t show any change of expression, but he knew well, she was confident she could win this. If it’s impossible to attack her, then let’s change the target. His attention now shifted to Haechan who only sat silently and acted like he was some kind of furniture.

“What's the use of an insincere apology?” by saying it, he admitted his lost. Yet, he didn’t want to crush his pride and tried to gaslight Haechan, whom he knew didn’t have the guts to go against him.

“I think, you are the one who is supposed to know best about the answer,” she answered while piercing her glare sharply on him.

Thump! After hearing her answer, Junhoe felt like something was piercing his heart. Everything he said just backfired on him. His feelings were so mixed up that he didn’t know what he felt. Despite that, he still displayed strong defense. No matter how cornered he was, he refused to back down.

Studying Junhoe’s expression and gesture, Chaeyoung could tell there was no chance for him to give up. So, she decided to retreat and changed her tactics.

“You are right. There is no need for you to apologize,” she broke the silence.

Junhoe looked at her suspiciously. There was no way she would give up that easily. This girl does not look like it, but she was strongly persistent. He glued his eyes on her, but she didn’t bother to look in his direction. She shifted her sitting position to face Haechan. She held his hands and with a sad voice, she called his name. Finally, he lifted his face and looked at her.

“I am sorry Haechan. You had to face and endure this difficult time. It’s all my fault. Because I stick my nose in other people’s business, I end up creating a monster. If only, I had turned a blind eye and just stayed still, that person mightn’t be like what he was right now. And you and your other friends will spend your high school in peace and joy. I am truly sorry.

“I am sorry for taking your precious time too. You were supposed to spend it with your friends, yet I asked you to come here to see and hear something unpleasant. I’m truly sorry” Although her apology seems to be so out of the blue, Haechan seems to see the big picture finally.

Junhoe became a monster, which might have something to do with his past. He once was a victim and Chaeyoung helped him. Unfortunately, what she hoped for when she helped him didn’t come true. Instead, Junhoe did the same as his perpetrator. That’s why she blamed herself for helping him back then. If she wasn’t, there was a possibility Junhoe wouldn’t have turned into a bully, and he wouldn’t get bullied.

“It’s okay Noona. What happened to me, and the other friends clearly wasn’t your fault. I believe what you did back then wasn’t a mistake. They said you choose what you want to be. So, it’s not your fault if a certain person becomes something you didn’t hope for,” weird, how he could say it confidently despite being watched closely by Junhoe. He was surprised by himself but glad that Chaeyoung was smiling proudly at him.

“Like you say, let’s get back to the others. They must be waiting for us. You don’t have to breathe the same air with that kind of people,” Haechan who suddenly got his confidence back, grabbed her hands which never let go of him before, and stood up. With a smile and still holding onto her hand, he led the way to leave the table without even giving any glance at Junhoe.

It was so clear, that no matter what, a person like Gu Junhoe would never apologize to him. So that Haechan thought, they just wasting their time here. Besides, what Junhoe said was true. He didn't need an insincere apology.

Junhoe looked staggered at what just happened in front of his eyes. He felt like it was so much better for Chaeyoung to get mad and curse him instead of regretting what she did back then. The dusty chest where he buried the horrible memory was fully opened now. He was trembling as he imagined the terrible things he would endure if it were not for her. It felt like he had long forgotten the angel who reached her hand out to pull him out of the darkness. To be saying what she did back then was a mistake truly hurt his heart.

“It’s not like that. I swear!” Junhoe shouted which made those two stop walking. They turned around and without moving an inch, looked at Junhoe who stood up from his chair.

“Please, don’t say what you did back then was a mistake. I… I didn’t bully him or his friends. I only give a lesson to the rascals! I didn’t know they took it out to other kids!” Junhoe pleaded with a panicked face. Yet, it didn’t seem to move Chaeyoung’s heart.

“I… I am sorry too if I am being rude to you! I did it just because I was jealous, and I wanted to get your attention. I am sorry Chaeyounga, please, forgive me…,” Junhoe was trying to get closer to them but as he took one step closer, Chaeyoung and Haechan also took one step away.

“You apologize to the wrong person, Junhoe-ya. For me, I don’t care about what you did to me. I am well aware you have a right to do it. More or less, I contributed to turning you into who you are today. You can even curse me all you want. From now on, I will diligently come to the church and repent for my sins. I am sorry for crushing your future. You don’t have to forgive me.

“But you still have to apologize to him and the other kids whose dreams you crushed just because of your twisted justice, or should I say, revenge. If you don’t, I won’t be able to face you anymore. As the guilt is too heavy for me to bear,” no matter how mad and disappointed she was, her face still didn’t change. As if she saw him as someone not worth her attention. That made Junhoe tremble even worse.

Chaeyoung was waiting for Junhoe’s response, but he was still standing like a statue. Her patience almost ran down and without a word, she pulled Haechan’s hand to leave.

“I’ll do it…,” The restaurant was so quiet so even Junhoe said it with a soft voice, they could hear it.

Haechan and Chaeyoung looked at each other in disbelief, but then Chaeyoung was smiling.

"Doing what?" she asked Junhoe although she already knew the answer.

"I will apologize. I am sorry!" he said with the saddest voice that ever came out of his mouth.

Chaeyoung looked at him with an expressionless face. Haechan who stood next to her was trembling in fear. It was the first time she showed a frightening face. He gulped. Now, it's not Junhoe who scared him the most, but her.

"Haechan," she called him, and it made him flinch.

“Y..Yes!” he stuttered due to shock.

Chaeyoung looked at him and asked whether he accepted Junhoe’s apology. Haechan was speechless. He didn’t know what to say because he was still trying to get his right mind back. Unfortunately, his hesitation made her think he didn’t accept it. So, she turned her head back to Junhoe. She stared at Junhoe and suddenly Junhoe felt like his strength was vapored up. Only with a glance of her eyes, he could understand what she wanted to say.

When the others were conversing using their eyes, Haechan slowly got his senses back. He sneakily took a glance at Junhoe whose face became pale then glancing at Chaeyoung. The smile on her face was long gone and now only a flat expression showed on her pretty face. It made Haechan’s eyes shaken. This was the first time he saw her lose her composure. The air suddenly got stuffy and before he forgot how to breathe easily, Chaeyoung let go of his hand and came closer to Junhoe.

Junhoe was so much taller than her, yet he felt so small once she stood in front of him. His eyes were shaken due to fear. Her expression did change, unlike what she always displayed. He was afraid she would say something like she said before. About regretting and leaving. He couldn’t bear the thought she would never want to see him again. It will be too painful.

“Breath,” she said to the pale Junhoe with a chuckle as if she for being funny.

As she commanded, Junhoe was trying to breathe normally. If wasn’t for her, he wouldn’t realize he had forgotten to breathe.

“I don’t have it…,” she finally spoke after the color of Junhoe’s face back to normal.

“The proof. It’s long gone. I did have the copies, but I deleted them once the case was closed,” unlike before, now her expression and voice were so soft and kind. There was no slightest anger contained in it.

Junhoe stupefied. He wondered why she told him about the triumph card she used to blackmail him. Instead, she looked like someone who was relieved after revealing a big secret.

“Why?” Although there were a lot of questions were generated in his brain, he could only be able to utter one word.

“What’s the point of saving something terrible like that? Besides those were painful memories which I believed no one wanted to remember,” her eyes softened as she was thinking about the innocent cute little Junhoe but then quickly changed as she looked back at the Junhoe who stood right in front of her.

“I am sorry. Earlier, I thought that maybe it would be better if I didn’t erase it. If I didn’t, maybe I can show it to you, and it will remind you how painful it was back then. It was horrible of me to use your pain to my advantage and selfishness.

“Now that I realized. There is no point in forcing you to do something you don’t want to do. It will be pointless for Haechan to receive an insincere apology too. Well… Now you know about the truth of the proof. There is nothing that can tie you down. I am just a mere outsider who had no right over your life anyway. So, feel free to do anything you want. It’s your life and your choice,” Chaeyoung finished her words without a single pause. She then gave a soft pat on Junhoe’s upper arm with a genuine smile she finally showed.

Junhoe knew it. What she said as well as that smile was genuine. Especially the smile. It’s not some business or polite smile she showed before. Before he could respond to it, she already turned away. As the distance between them was getting farther, the more blurred Junhoe’s vision was, thanks to the tears that gathered in his eyes.

When Chaeyoung and Junhoe were having a personal talk, Haechan just stood still and watched. He couldn’t hear what they were saying because they were talking in a whisper. The only thing he could do was observe the facial expressions of those two, then guess what probably happened. He was only able to see Junhoe’s face. The expression he had shown was truly unexpected. It made Haechan curious and wonder what she said. Before he started to guess the most probable scenario, they finished talking. In a split second, Chaeyoung came over to him, grabbed his hand, and pulled it to lead him to leave the place.

“Lee Haechan!” once again, their escape was interrupted. Haechan turned his head and looked at Junhoe whose face was already a mess. His eyes were red, and his big build suddenly looked small and fragile. For a second, Haechan thought Junhoe would crumble and broke into tears, which was hard to believe would come true.

“I need to talk to you,” said Junhoe. His voice sounded so desperate. Just like someone who was begging for mercy. Haechan looked at Chaeyoung and Junhoe back and forth. He hesitated and it showed. Which made Chaeyoung tell him he could refuse if he didn’t want to. He gulped then once again looking at pitiful Junhoe. Suddenly Haechan had a change of heart. He thought if he avoided him now, he would feel intimidated for the rest of his life. It’s not his way to live as a coward. Moreover, they already come this far. It will be a waste to just leave it unfinished.

“It’s okay Noona. You can wait for me outside. I will be fine,” Haechan let her hand go and showed a confident smile. There was a bit of hesitation in her eyes, but then she nodded. Without uttering a word, she patted his back and left him alone in the room with his perpetrator.

The sound of the door getting closed was heard. As soon as they were alone, Junhoe told Haechan to take his phone out. Refusing to get commanded, Haechan braved himself to ask what he would do with it. Junhoe let out a soft chuckle and said he needed it for collateral. Before Haechan asked further questions, Junhoe quickly told him to get ready to record a video. The trauma couldn’t disappear in an instant. It made Haechan unconsciously do what Junhoe told him although he didn’t know the purpose.

“You already pressed the record button?” asked Junhoe with an unexpectedly friendly voice.

Haechan nodded hesitantly. Junhoe giggled and said he should move closer to him so that he would get a better video. The drastic change in Junhoe’s behavior and his weird request made Haechan’s hands which held the phone tremble. He was scared and confused but couldn’t refuse his request. Little did Haechan know that what just happened was nothing compared to the next event.

Never in Haechan’s life did he expect to witness a scene that was only available in the movie. Right now, in front of his very own eyes, Gu Junhoe was kneeling and apologizing. Not only his eyes but also the camera he was holding also captured it well. The apology sounded and looked so sincere. Haechan could tell it very well.

The almighty Gu Junhoe begged for the victim’s forgiveness for every sin he committed. He even mentioned it one by one and at the end, apologizing for any sin he couldn’t mention because there was too much of it. He then said, he would do anything Haechan asked him to do in order to receive his forgiveness. He even promised him that he would come and do the same to every victim.

Overwhelmed with unbelievable scenes, Haechan couldn’t process everything that he said. His amazement came to an end as he felt Junhoe was done with his apology. It was so awkward. Haechan didn’t know what to do with him. It’s too sudden and it made him couldn’t think straight. He also didn’t want to accept it right away. Yet, his heart also couldn’t look away from the sincere apology. He was too softhearted, even for the person who had ruined his life.

Seeing how Haechan just stood still, Junhoe was taking a deep breath. He knew it wouldn’t be easy to gain his forgiveness. But there was nothing he could do. He stood up and told Haechan to save the recording. Like a robot, Haechan did what he was told. After ensuring the recording was saved well, Junhoe tried to move closer to Haechan. But then, he didn’t do it, afraid Haechan would run away. So, he just spoke to him where he was standing.

“I know it won’t be easy for you. I understand. I don’t want to say you don’t have to forgive me. It is such a cowardly thing. So, no matter how long, I will wait for it. As for the recording, please save it well. You are free to do anything with it,” said Junhoe with a smile.

Haechan stared at him confusedly. But then, he realized, it would cause a big commotion once the video was circulated. The bully who kneeled before his victim. It will crush his reputation and his pride. But why did he let him have it?

“I know it’s not my place, but can you do me a favor?” asked Junhoe.

Junhoe didn’t say anything before he got an answer. It made Haechan feel uncomfortable and quickly nodded to end that situation.

“The recording, please don’t delete it. Also… If I happened to repeat the same sin, could you please slap me by sending that video?” the request he made was so out of Haechan’s expectation. It sounded weird, but he had no choice but to agree. A big smile was formed on Junhoe’s face.

Seeing how uncomfortable and awkward Haechan was, Junhoe told him to leave. Like he said before, he better spend his time with his friends rather than with Junhoe. Glad that Junhoe took the first initiative to end this repentance session, Haechan politely bowed to him and without saying any word, he left.

As soon as the door was opened, Jaehyun came over to Haechan and asked about his condition. Haechan smiled and assured him that he was fine.

“Haechan,” Chaeyoung called his name. Unconsciously Haechan’s hand which he put in his pocket was trembling as he heard her voice.

“Everything’s okay?” she asked him.

Haechan nodded and she responded with a smile.

God, please save me. Upon seeing that smile, he unconsciously prayed to God. As he didn’t know the true identity of the woman who stood before him. People said she was a devil disguised as an angel. But now, he knew it was wrong. The person who was able to knock down an evil like Gu Junhoe. She was indeed a satan.