HEART2HEART

chapter 6: get off my back

Jungkook couldn't wipe the look on Jieun's face from his mind even while working on his assignment over the weekend.

That very look on her face when she turned and glanced at him and realised at once that he had seen it all. And Jungkook also couldn't forget how he has tried his best to smile and wave, and whilst smiling and waving, he made his way towards her as casually as he could.

"Sunbae-nim, you're still here."

That was the lamest thing he could have ever said in that moment because he had literally rushed down after her just minutes after she had left. She should be the one surprised to see him there, not the other way.

But then, of course, she had reacted in the same way Jungkook had expected her to. A bright smile, pretending like nothing had happened at all, as if Jungkook hadn't seen how bitter her expression was as she watched Jennie board the black Mercedes. She was amazing at that - up-keeping that poker smiley face of hers.

But one thing was for sure - something had clearly happened between Jieun and Jennie in the past, and Jungkook had to get to the very bottom of it.

Last night, he had very kindly offered to walk to share the umbrella and walk her to the train station and she had agreed after some hesitation, but that walk felt like the longest walk Jungkook had ever taken in the entire 25 years of his life. It was completely silent as they walked, and it wasn't the peaceful kind of silence but rather, the awkward there's-an-elephant-in-the-room-we-both-know-about-but-let's-not-address-it type of silence. It was suffocating, it felt awful.

And that suffocation carried on throughout the weekend and until the next Monday morning, when Jungkook bumped into Jieun at the lift lobby that very morning. It was an awkward realisation that she was standing right behind him all this while as they waited for the lift, a small double-take and a quick nod and smile. And the atmosphere was really weird, not gonna lie. And the fact that it was just the two of them without anyone else just made things probably, like, 30 times worse than they already were.

"Good morning, sunbae-nim," Jungkook said with a small bow as they entered the lift when it arrived. "Did you get home safely last nigh- I mean, no, last Friday?"

Jungkook's insides crumbled a little. Oh, that was terrible.

"Yes, I did-" Jieun bright smile did not waiver. "What about you?"

"Yeah, me too."

Silence fell over the both of them as the lift door slowly began to slide close.

"Wait for me!"

Jungkook hurriedly held the lift doors open, as he heard a familiar voice fill the lift lobby. He was relieved, almost, when he spotted his best friend pop his face into the lift, before hopping on with them. At least he didn't have to deal with the tense situation with Jieun all by himself.

Panting like crazy, Taehyung dashed into the lift just as the doors were closing.

"Oh-" he caught sight of the both of them, his eyes darting back and forth between the two as he took his place between them. "What's with this tense atmosphere so early in the morning?"

Jieun forced a laugh. "What do you mean? It's nothing, good morning, bujang-nim."

"Bad morning-" Taehyung sighed.