It took far too little legroom and a couple hours for the car to pull up into the 'VIP' section of the car park at the building Seol is yet to discover, considering his eyes daren't move from his lap; but he supposed this is where he'd be eating later tonight. The rain had only progressed worse so it's not like he'd get a fine idea of his whereabouts, regardless of whether or not he shortened his gaze to the window. When the car's engine was switched off, his parents immediately made their way out of the vehicle, the doors almost striking the ushers' abdomens, black umbrellas over their heads.
At last, Seol's peripheral vision had to advert as he looked up at the large building while climbing out of the car in about the most 'prime' manner he could manage, his ribs being crushed and all. The unfamiliar building soon became all too familiar, the Jeon&Fly company logo printed in bold on the front of the sky-scraper-tall building, also scattering the all personnel car range beside the VIPs.
"Shit." he breathed out.
"An imposing edifice graced by old world charm, situated atop an altitudinous promontory with panoramic views", otherwise known as the building owned by Jeon Sanghyuk.
Jeon Sanghyuk is a big name in South Korea, CEO of the biggest and most successful agency. It's not out of the ordinary for his branding to be displayed literally everywhere he looked, but now Seol was at his place. He was crazy rich, there really wasn't any need for a separate building to work than to sleep. At least he's responsible in a sense, if another competed with the size of this one, it'd take up Jeju Island. Call that exaggerative, though, you'd be surprised. Seol was currently murmuring incoherent words under his breath in manifestation. He would not be caught dead in the same room as Jeon Jungkook.
~~~
"Are you an only child?" Jungkook asked.
"Yes." no, he was not, but if this conversation were to drag on any longer, he was going to resort to the handy old 'ahh my stomach feels awful, I must be escorted to the comforts of my bedroom' excuse. But he knew this night was important to his parents so he resisted. Oh so painfully resisted. So here he was, loitering around the dining area, watching the clock.
"You look beautiful, you know."
"You repeated the same just a minute ago, I have memory duration longer than a goldfish, believe it or not."
"I know... Why aren't you looking at me?"
"I'm watching the clock. Sorry, was that rude? My deepest apologies, Master Jeon. I must from here on out stare lovingly at your exquisite face." Seol expressed like he were about to get on his knees. Thankfully, Jungkook does understand the nature of irony.
"Haha." he turned away, his back leaning against the bar.
Seol liked Jungkook, of course he did, but, too much for his own good. He had to distance himself or the inevitable would occur. Public breakdowns are not his thing. Anywho, keeping his distance proved to be difficult considering he and Jungkook were the only people aged younger than forty there.
"Welcome, guests," Sanghyuk kindly broke the thickly rising tension, slash silence, and made his way to the head of the dining table, "it is still about an hour and a half until dinner will be ready and the announcement will be made, so please make yourself at home until then, thank you."
"Gather around everyone, let's get to know each other, eh?" Seol's dad called from the living space; or what he assumed to be that. It had a few sofas and a well-polished black coffee table that took up a generous expanse of the room. Seol sat down stiffly, Jungkook following suit.
The older peoples' conversation soon diverted his attention to elsewhere, as they were rambling on about business, money, class, whatnot. Politics or any discussion involving division among people either bored Seol or angered him, nine times out of ten, it'd be both. You didn't realise you'd completely zoned out until Jungkook spoke up.
"Miss Na?"
"Hm? Yeah, sorry?"
Jungkook chuckled, "It's nothing, you just looked a little out of it."
"Ah. Frequent pattern when I'm met with topics that, respectfully, more or less, bore me." You replied at a volume you hoped only Jungkook could hear.
"Me too," he admitted, half-laughing, "I heard you too have a passion for singing and performing, right?" Jungkook asked.
"That's right." Seol replied with a faint smile, he'd never really put himself and 'performer' in the same sentence but being recognised by a big name in the industry was huge. He was sending in auditions all over the place in hopes some agency would take him in and he could start training for what he really wanted.
"Be realistic, Seolhee, that's not going to get you anywhere. You have to have some real talent for that." Ahn interrupted. Apparently, the conversation wasn't quite quiet enough. Thanks, dad. It very quickly felt as though all the air had been sucked out of the room. The tension rose hairs on Seol's skin.
"Excuse me." he politely smiled as he rose from his seat and advanced to the exit by the side of the room. When the warm aroma left contact with his skin, he still never stopped moving. He didn't know where the hell he was going, nor did he really care where he ended up. It's true, it's extremely difficult to make it anywhere in that area of profession, but Seol thought he could at least have a little support from his family. But, of course, princesses are much too classy to be performers.
"Miss Na!" Seol heard Jungkook call out at a not-so-far distance. Truth be told, his voice was the first and last he wanted to hear in this moment. Mr Jeon's loud voice echoed along the grass, calling for Jungkook to retrieve to shelter, it rang in Seol's head and he couldn't recall when it stopped. Nevertheless, he continued running to nowhere.
Seol eventually came to a halt when his legs were too tired to function any longer. He dropped to his knees at a hill in the middle of a field, he turned to sit in a way that wouldn't give him pins and needles, and much to his surprise, he found Jeon Jungkook still hot on his tail.
"Miss Na!" his hands fisted his kneecaps as he was regaining his breath. Seol tried getting up but he couldn't even move his leg a centimetre without it cramping up. Jungkook sat next to him once he composed himself.
"Um... I'm sorry... about that." he stumbled over his words, not really knowing what to say.
"Call me Seolhee. And I don't need your pity. I'm fine."
"Are you?" he leaned back, rested his hands on the ground beside him and looked at Seol dead in the eyes.
"Yes." he insisted. He looked away from Jungkook and at the landscape instead. Gazing at rural nature is better for the mind rather than someone you wished you were, of course.
"Your looks contradict your words." He lifted his hand up to wipe Seol's residing tears he had no idea were there in the first place.
"Gee, thanks." he looked at him briefly.
"You know what I mean." Jungkook laughed.
Jungkook rose from the ground and reached his hand out for Seol to grab, he accepted it in a far-fetched attempt to stand, though his legs had completely given out.
"You're fine, huh?" he scoffed, "let me carry you."
"Not a chance, Sir Jeon."
"Jungkook. And, yes I am carrying you, Seolhee. No matter how stubborn I already know you are."
"Can't we just stay here for a minute?" he argued.
Jungkook raised his eyebrows, it was raining thickly, he thought Seol would've wanted some shelter, "Sure." he nodded. He didn't mind. The rain was bound to settle down at some point.
When the rain stopped, it was quiet for a while. Jungkook's eyes trailed towards Seol once they could no longer watch the heavy raindrops collide with the meadows' surface. It seemed as though he'd zoned out the whole time when he quickly took off his tailored blazer and hung it around Seol's shoulders.
"You must be cold," he said simply.
Seol's mouth gaped, "Was it that obvious?" he asked in a satire tone, bundling himself further in the blazer.
"It was," he replied in the same tone.
