"Is anyone sitting here?" -Park Jimin

Chapter 14: The Caffeinated Beast’s Verdict

“Aren’t you going in?” Cindy looked back at Hamin, who just stood near the entrance of the cafeteria. Hamin shook her head with a slight smile.

             “Um yeah you go ahead. I have to wait for someone,” she waved.

             “For who?” Cindy walked back towards Hamin and raised an eyebrow.

             “Just someone,” Hamin shrugged. Cindy didn’t budge.

             “Is it a man? Jung Sajang-nim? Or Kim Taehyung?” Cindy guessed, being the smarty she was.

             “Um… the former,” Hamin said quietly, looking down. Cindy’s lips curled upwards.

             “I told you he likes you,” Cindy crossed her arms. 

             “Don’t be ridiculous. He just…” Hamin couldn’t seem to finish her sentence. He just...what? She honestly didn’t even know why he said he was going to come see her now. 

             “He just misses you so much that he’s going to come all the way here to eat with you hm?” Cindy finished her sentence for her with a smirk. Hamin felt her cheeks grow hot.

             “Okay that’s enough,” Hamin looked away and gave Cindy a smack on the arm.

             “Wait what are you going to do about Kim Taehyung though? Did you get back to him after his one hundred missed calls?” Cindy asked in all seriousness, rubbing her arm and remembering how Hamin had told her she’d waken up that one night at Hoseok’s with her phone screen bombarded with calls and texts. Hamin looked at her friend briefly before shaking her head. It was true that Hamin was rather shocked at how many times Taehyung had called her the night she fell asleep at Hoseok’s mansion, which in and of itself was something she still couldn’t believe she’d done.

It was almost a little too much for her. But after she had texted him telling him she was alright, the two had more casual conversations like they always had. It was as if awkwardness came and went with Taehyung…and Hamin wasn’t sure how she felt about that.

She had to give him an answer soon. She hoped it wouldn’t have to be tonight, as she made plans to have dinner with him.

             “I texted him…and that’s about it,” Hamin ended up responding.

             “My poor baby,” Cindy made a fake crying face as she patted Hamin’s head. “You have the hardest decision in having to choose between a sweetie pie and a hottie pie huh? Do you have any idea how blessed you are?”

             “Okay enough already. You should go eat,” Hamin began to push her now smiling friend away and into the cafeteria when a voice stopped her.

             “Park Hamin!”

             She turned her head to the direction of the voice.

             “Park Jimin..?” she saw her brother walking towards her, hand waving. And next to him…

             “Mom..?”

Hamin tilted her head as to why in the world her brother and mother were coming towards her. She never imagined them to be at the entrance of her school cafeteria at this time. Well Cindy hadn’t either because she immediately froze at the sight of the two figures, her smile gone.

             “Hey Cindy,” Jimin smiled at her when he saw her, to which she nodded stiffly to. 

             “Hi oppa,” she peeped.

             “What are you two doing here?” Hamin asked a little too loud. Her mom shrugged.

             “I wanted to come see how your school was like, since I’ve never been here after you started college. Besides, I’m leaving soon so I made Jimin take me now on his lunch break,” she answered. Jimin rolled his eyes playfully. 

             “Yeah you can’t imagine how much nagging I had to put up with before coming here,” he joked (well sort of). Mrs. Park glared at him briefly before turning her eyes to the blonde girl awkwardly standing off to the side.

             “And you are..?” she asked.

             “Oh! Hello ma’am! I’m Cindy Han! Hamin’s friend since middle school!” Cindy’s strong voice rang through. Mrs. Park widened her eyes shortly before laughing.

             “Why aren’t you a bold girl? I love it. Cindy, you said?” she gave Cindy a pat on the shoulder. Cindy gasped internally at that, unable to fully react to the fact that the woman who gave birth to her best friend and love of her life just gave her a pat and smile. 

             “Yes ma’am,” she smiled back. And Jimin smiled too, at what was going on.

And Hamin noticed. And she gave him a nudge.

             “She still a kid to you oppa?” she whispered. Jimin looked at his sister expressionless.

             “...no,” he whispered back. Hamin whipped her head to turn to face him, shocked at his unexpected answer.

             “What?! No?! She’s not?” Hamin blurted out rather excitedly. Jimin cupped his hand over , startled.

             “Will you shush please sis?” he hissed. He found Cindy and his mother looking at the two of them funny before he sheepishly grinned, his eyes folding like crescent moons. 

             “Well, now that you’ve seen everything including your daughter, why don’t we go now?” Jimin offered to his mom, breaking the momentary silence and taking his hand back. Cindy found herself a little disappointed at that, as she felt like she only just met the woman she prayed would become her mother-in-law (LOL).

And of course, she didn’t want to see Jimin go. As much as she remembered what had happened the night she drank with him in front of a convenience store, she couldn’t help but still feel things towards him. She had wanted to push him away, because he hurt her by seeing her as a child. But she realized her stupid self hurt even more when he wasn’t around her at all. 

             “Leave already?” Mrs. Park asked, as if she read Cindy’s thoughts. “I don’t want to leave already.”

             “Then...you want to eat?” Jimin raised his eyebrows, a little flustered his mom would say no to his offer to leave. 

             “Hm…” Mrs. Park thought for a brief moment. And when she was about to open in response, someone else entered the scene.

             “Hamin-ah.”

             His low voice made all four heads turn to face him, to which he was surprised at. He hadn’t expected anyone but Hamin to be waiting for him. He gulped at the sight of her mom.

             “Ma’am,” the cold beast bowed. Hamin’s mom smiled mischievously. She placed her hand on his back.

             “Hoseok-ah! I’m glad you came. Have you eaten? Let’s eat,” she said brightly and Hamin in.

             “No mom, you already forced him to eat with you once. Don’t force him again,” she said, using her hand to take her mom’s hand off her boss’ back. But Hoseok shook his head, grabbing Hamin’s hand and holding it tight, placing it by his side.

Jimin raised his eyebrow at that.

             Wait does Jung Sajang-nim actually...really like Hamin..? he couldn’t help but think.

             “It’d be an honor ma’am. Can I treat you out to something?” he asked rather politely. Hamin looked at him with wide eyes. 

             “Are you sure?” she whispered, leaning towards him. Hoseok side glanced at her and smiled.

             “Of course,” he whispered back, his hand not letting go of hers. 

             Cindy knew when to back out. As much as she wanted to spend more time with Mrs. Park, she knew this was Hoseok’s time to shine.

             Kim Taehyung, you’re in big trouble, she thought to herself, honestly not knowing who to ship her friend with.

Because Jung Hoseok was quite dashing at the moment. 

             “Okay, well you guys go ahead and enjoy yourselves! I’ll go eat in the cafeteria since I have class in an hour anyway,” she said, bowing to them. Then she ran off before Hamin or anyone else could say anything.

             “What are you doing? Go after her! You can use my meal ticket,” Hamin shoved her brother as she handed him the meal ticket. Jimin looked at her flustered, but his feet soon began to move in the direction after the blondie. 

             “Then shall we?” Hoseok asked, gesturing towards where his car was parked. The two ladies he was about to serve nodded and followed his lead out.

             Two lunches were happening simultaneously, meaning there would be two dramas going on at once.

***

             “Is anyone sitting here?”

Cindy looked up as she was about to take a bite out of her rice and dropped it. 

             “What...are you doing here?” she asked, clearly not expecting him to be in the cafeteria after she ran in. Jimin grinned and placed his tray down in front of her, seating himself as well.

             “I’m eating,” he said as he grabbed a tissue from a box and placed it near Cindy’s plate before grabbing one for himself.

             “With me..?” Cindy asked, still unsure if this was actually real and happening.

             “Yes with you,” Jimin laughed. He looked at Cindy, who was looking down at her rice. There was a slight awkwardness in the air, ever since their last conversation at the convenience store.

Jimin had done some thinking since then though.

He reflected.

As to how he felt towards the girl in front of him.

The kiddo...that wasn’t a kiddo anymore.

“Look, about that night,” Cindy began to say.

“Hey don’t worry about it for now and eat. You have class soon, don’t you?” Jimin cut her off and pointed at her food. He then grabbed his own spoon and began to eat. He didn’t want to burden Cindy with anything at the moment. He would tell her his findings of his own feelings soon enough.

Hopefully that “soon enough” wouldn’t be “too late.”

“...” 

But Cindy misunderstood. She took Jimin’s comment as “I don’t want to remember that night so let’s pretend it never happened and let’s just keep having the oppa-kiddo relationship we’ve had for a long time okay?”

So she stopped.

She wondered for once if her liking Jimin was really a burden to him. And whether liking him was hurting him as much as not seeing him was hurting her. 

I really should stop, shouldn’t I? Cindy told herself internally. She had to stop for her and Jimin’s sake. Her being selfish was, in and of itself, being the “kid” she hated being called.

“I was just going to say that I’ll give you your hoodie back sometime this week,” Cindy said finally as she resumed eating. Jimin nodded.

“And from now on, I’ll be more careful. I shouldn’t have drank so late that night,” Cindy went on to which Jimin smiled and nodded again, this time in satisfaction to.

“If I ever have to though, I’ll be sure not to bother you and call Jungkook oppa instead so you won’t have to worry. He took me home safely that night too so I can say he’s trustworthy,” Cindy continued.

Jimin froze at that.

His smile vanished and his face grew cold.

“You’re going to what?” he asked, his tone clearly irritated. Cindy glanced at him before moving her gaze towards her food.

“Call Jungkook oppa instead so I don’t worry or bother you,” she repeated.

Jimin didn’t like the sound of that one bit. Call who? What was happening? It seemed like everything was going great until Jungkook’s name popped up. 

“No,” he set down his spoon, “Don’t call anyone else but me.”

 Cindy tensed, looking up at Jimin’s sudden coldness.

“What?”

“I better be the first one you call.”

“Why?” Cindy could hardly believe what she was hearing. It sounded like Jimin was being…possessive. And jealous. But why? 

“Because that’s how you won’t worry or bother me,” Jimin didn’t look away. Cindy felt her heart beat faster. What did that even mean?

“So if you don’t want to see me go crazy or mad with worry, don’t you dare call another guy. Call me, okay?”

Jimin finally melted into a smile near the end of his command and Cindy just stared back dumbfoundedly, unable to fully process what had just been said.

“Promise?” Jimin held out his pinkie. Cindy intertwined hers with his after a moment, nodding.

“Okay,” she peeped.

Jimin broke into laughter at her unusually small response, his other hand reaching across to her hair. She was adorable.

It hadn’t even been fifteen minutes since Cindy told herself to stop liking Jimin and her heart was already about to burst because of him. Perhaps it was impossible for a girl like Cindy to not like a guy like Park Jimin. Then it must be destiny right?

At least, as long as no one gets in the way.

***

             Lunch flew by in a nearby sushi place for Hamin, her mother, and Hoseok the buyer. It was undoubtedly a good time, with laughter and smiles and meaningful conversations about life. 

             One thing was for sure: Hoseok tried his best to leave a good impression and Mrs. Park noticed. She was absolutely certain he liked Hamin. And so she had to control her giggles from spilling out at how Hoseok’s ears would turn pink whenever he interacted with her daughter and how respectful he was towards herself. 

             Mrs. Park liked Hoseok. From his good looks to good manners, she found him lovable and pleasant. Sure the guy was a little quiet and appeared cold at times, but he had a good heart and she could see it. She had also heard from Hamin about his past, and she sympathized for him. Her motherly instincts came out and she couldn’t help but want to reach out to him more.

             But Mrs. Park knew that Kim Taehyung had feelings for her daughter too. And she had always thought Taehyung would end up being her son-in-law. Now with Hoseok on the loose, she didn’t know anymore. It was all up to Hamin herself. She had to choose and Mrs. Park would just have to support her decision, which wasn’t going to be hard given that both candidates were excellent.

             “When is your flight Mom?” Hamin asked her mom on the way out of the restaurant, Hoseok holding the door open for the two ladies.

             “In two days, can you believe?” her mom answered before smiling at Hoseok in thanks. “A week flies by doesn’t it?”

             “Yeah that’s so soon,” Hamin nodded, a little sad that her mom was leaving. She linked arms with h