CHAPTER XI

Jungkook stares at Rosé who is very focus in doing her work in front of the laptop from his seat. Rosé’s features are very common and familiar to his eyes. He is very sure that Rosé in front of him right now is the same bar girl, Chaeyoung that he met three years ago. But, he is very confused as to why Rosé came to the extent of creating a new identity for herself and pretending that she doesn’t know him.

“Am I pretty? Your eyes are almost sticking out,” Rosé suddenly talk, her eyes are still focusing on her laptop.

Jungkook startled.

“Whoa! You’re so quick-witted, aren’t you?” Jungkook replied.

He stand up from his seat and walks towards Rosé. Rosé looks up at Jungkook who was walking towards her and took a seat beside and close to her. Rosé moves her a little bit away from Jungkook.

“This office is so big and have so many couch. Do you really have to sit beside me?” asks Rosé.

Jungkook grins.

“Are you really not going to admit it?” Jungkook asks.

“Admit what?”

“I freaking met you at the bar three years ago. We hook up. Do you seriously have problem with your mind or memories or anything related to your brain? How can you…uh, I mean how can you forget this freaking face?” Jungkook pointed to his face.

“You say it. ‘We hook up’. So, if I can’t remember this freaking face,” Rosé pointed to Jungkook’s face. “It’s not a big issue, isn’t it?”

“You admit it right now, right?” Jungkook excited. “You remember that we’ve met, right?” he asks in excitement.

Rosé looks at him, disbelief.

“Can I ask you something?” says Rosé.

Jungkook lifted his eyebrows.

“Why is it important to you whether I remember you or not, regardless we’ve met before or not? Either way, we won’t be meeting each other after this project has settled down,” Rosé calmly said.

Jungkook silent, thinking.

“I know right?” he quietly says.

He exhales heavily.

“If we have met before in a different situation, will you react this way with me? If we haven’t met, will you still be this way with me?” Jungkook asks, looking somewhere that only he knows while thinking silently.

“Oh- it’s 12! Lunch timeee~” Rosé exclaimed, changing the topic.

Jungkook looks at her who’s tidying up her files and laptop on the table in front of her happily. A smile was form on his lips.

“Thank God you were not admitted many days for not eating the other day,” Jungkook mumbled to Rosé. “If not, you will not be able to be this happy for lunch today.”

“Shut up, okay? I’m trying to be happy with lunch today,” Rosé rolls her eyes.

“Let’s go. I’ll treat you to something yummy,” Jungkook invites.

“Why do you keep wanting to tie me on you the whole day? I’m trying to eat lunch right now. Please let me enjoy my ‘me’ moments while having my luxurious lunch for myself?” Rosé frowns.

“Come on! Just today, okay? Besides, I have something to tell you,” Jungkook replies.

“Tell now.”

Rosé insists.

Jungkook narrowed his eyes looking at Rosé whose sitting beside him. Rosé narrowed her eyes back looking at Jungkook. He startled and grins. He moves his face closer to Rosé’s and makes her slowly moves backwards and accidently slips her hand which makes her fall lying on the couch. Jungkook climb on top of her.

“If I tell you here, the situation will not be the same as if I tell you at the restaurants,” Jungkook whispers.

Their face were just few inches away from each other. Jungkook looks deeply inside Rosé’s eyes. Rosé’s heart beats faster than usual. She avoids looking into Jungkook’s eyes who is staring at her.

“Err…”

*knock* *knock* *knock*

Both Jungkook and Rosé startled. Jungkook sighed heavily. He moves away from Rosé and pulls her hand allowing her to sit back properly. He caress her hair and pull a few strands of her hair behind her right ears with a smile on his face before walking back to his desk. Rosé stunned by his action.

“Yes,” he says while walking away.

V was seen entering the door.

“What do you want, V?” Jungkook asks coldly.

“Did I interrupt anything?” clueless V asks.

Jungkook looks at him blankly. V nods, understand. “Okay, I’ll leave now. I was just going to ask if you want to have lunch but seems like I’m already interrupting your lunch huh,” V jokes while walking backwards to leave the door.

“No!” Rosé stops V. “We were just about to go for lunch, right Mr. Jeon? Maybe you want to join us?” Rosé invites V.

Jungkook looks at Rosé, then V attentively.

“Erm…oh- yeah! I just recalled. I have to meet someone over lunch. Thank you for the invite, Ms. Park but no thanks. Enjoy your lunch,” says V as leaving.

Rosé dumbfounded.

“So, you agree to lunch with me right? Let’s go!” says Jungkook while walking leisurely towards the door.

Rosé silently and soullessly followed behind. As they walk towards Jungkook’s rides, Rosé notices that Jungkook frequently on his left waist on his back. Her eyebrows frowns.

“Get in,” Jungkook says as they reach the rides.

“Are you okay?” Rosé asks.

“Yeah, why?” Jungkook turns back looking at Rosé.

“You keep on your back. I notice it since we were walking from the office. Is your back hurt?” Rosé asks, concern.

Jungkook grins.

“Oh- hahah its nothing. I just accidently bump the table edge last night,” he laugh it off and open the driver’s seat door. “Get in.”

“Why don’t we just order and eat at the office? You don’t look good either to drive. Even if I drive, you don’t look good to go for a drive. Besides, I don’t really mind if we’re not eating out as long as we eat, right?” Rosé suggested.

Jungkook closed back the door.

“If you don’t mind,” says Jungkook.

They walk back to the office and Jungkook stops by the receptionists. He wrote down something on a sticky notes and pass it to the receptionist lady before signalling Rosé to walk inside the office first. As Rosé enters the office, “Make it fast,” Jungkook told the receptionist lady.

“I have an ointment. Put on some on your back. It might relieve the pain,” says Rosé, handing out the ointment on her hand to Jungkook as he entered the door.

“Oh- thanks,” Jungkook took the ointment from her.

He took off his blazer and pull up his shirt. Seeing Jungkook in so much struggle to put the ointment on his back, Rosé walks up closer to him and took the ointment from his hand. Jungkook looks at her, confused. Rosé put some of the ointment on her hand and swap it on Jungkook’s back without saying anything.

After a while, “It’s quite a huge bruise. Apply ointment several times a day, it might get better,” says Rosé.

“Thank you,” Jungkook says silently.

Rosé nods lightly. “I’m going to wash my hand,” she says before leaving.

As Rosé leaves the door, Jungkook falls sitting on the edge of his desk, putting his hand on his chest. His heart beats faster than usual. His breath fluttered.

“What is this feeling?” he whispers.