Jungkook raised his eyebrow and smirked, giving you a side glance. He then turned they key in his car, starting the engine.
'Well, I don't want to ruin the surprise, but I'll give you a hint,' he said, a sudden confidence seeming to flood in his veins.
He relaxed in his chair and drove off the pavement, checking the mirrors. 'You might hate my guts when I return you home.' He grinned, looking at your reflection in the rear-view mirror.
You frowned in confusion and amusement at his clue. He didn't know too much about you, so it couldn't be a 'face your fear' type of thing. Your mind honestly blanked as you tried to think of something Jungkook thought you wouldn't enjoy. It wasn't night so it probably wasn't some kind of horror house.
'A horror movie?' You thought out loud, trying to hide your disappointment if that were the case. Film's were fine, just not for a first date because you couldn't talk to the other person at all and cinema's always felt stuffy.
'Oh absolutely not,' Jungkook giggled, shaking his head as his eyes scrunched up a little. 'Nothing that bad. If your the active type, you'll be fine.'
Oh god. His comment sent shivers down your spine. Was he taking you to a marathon or a gym day or something?
You weren't exactly the most fit person to exist. You knew you should work out more, you did the odd at-home workout, or exercise class rarely. Working out made you really sweaty and red-faced, not a pretty sight for your date, who additionally would definitely intimidate you, with his over sized jean jacket and many layers unable to conceal his athletic physique.
You attempted to not panic, especially since the true location hadn't been revealed yet. As Jungkook drove along for a while, your muscles tensed each time a gym came into sight. You ignored and disguised this, making easy small talk with Jungkook on the drive, his relaxed nature nurturing you.
You drove through the city, both of you discussing stories you both individually had in different buildings or landmarks as you passed them. Jungkook had had very unique experiences, coming from a rich family, his adventures differed astronomically to yours. Your family had never been poor, just cautious and lived just about comfortably.
After a long time, due to the morning rush on the roads, Jungkook indicated to turn and you caught a glance of the location. "Bukhansan National Park."
'Oh!' you exclaimed, slightly relieved that this wasn't the location of a gym. The hike up the Bukhansan hike was slightly familiar to you since you'd made it once as a kid. As a whole, hiking was pretty enjoyable, especially since this wasn't such a long walk.
'Is that a good "oh?" Or are you scared to hurt my feelings?' Jungkook laughed, a hint of worry in his voice.
You smiled at his nervousness. 'It's a good "oh." I can tolerate hiking, especially with the right company.' You looked at Jungkook and winked.
He grinned. 'Good, 'cause I was really stressing about where to take you,' he explained, looking around as he pulled into an empty space in the relatively crowded car park. 'It's been a while since I've been on a date honestly, so I'm pretty scared but exited.'
You nodded, agreeing completely with those expressed emotions, maybe leaning more to the scared side. Although, it was comforting to know Jungkook, similarly to you, hadn't dipped his toes in the dating pool for a while.
As the engine shut off, Jungkook rotated in his chair to extend his arm to the backseat where a rucksack and a windbreaker coat lay on the seats. He said how he'd hoped you'd wrapped up warm as he threw the coat over his jacket and opened his door.
You followed his footsteps by opening the door then leaning down to grab your handbag. When you looked back up, Jungkook was standing in the doorway with his rucksack resting on his broad shoulders with his hand extended. You smiled at his manners and took his palm in yours. He lifted you up and you found yourself standing directly in front of him. Both of you stood there for a brief second before your nerves of being near Jungkook kicked in and you stumbled away from his grasp.
He nodded his head to the side as he locked the car, before turning his direction back to you and gesturing towards the mountain.
'Ready?' he asked, placing his hands in his pockets for warmth.
You nodded, unsure if boots were the correct choice of footwear. Alas, the show must go on.
You jogged up to Jungkook and made your way to the signs stating the beginning of the hike. You felt a little awkward and unsure of what to start a conversation on suddenly, as your feet began the journey. Jungkook's squirming and silence inferred similar emotions.
You raked your brain for some kind of material and blurted out, 'When I met you I thought you were really patronising, y'know?'
Realising you had met Jungkook not too long ago, you squinted your eyes and shook your head in embarrassment, hoping he wouldn't take offense.
Jungkook looked at you in surprise, allowing a quick puff of a laugh to escape. 'Really, patronising?' He looked down at his shoes, as if embarrassed, filling your body with guilt of making him feel bad. 'What did I do?'
You quickly tried to repair this small damage. 'Oh, nothing awful! You were so lovely, I wouldn't have even considered going near you again if you were horrible.' You stuttered, remembering how complimentary Jungkook had been about your photographs when he met you in the cafe.
'All I meant was your talk about your job and the business world felt a little... I don't know, like my massive pride was deflated,' you rambled, your words not making much sense. 'It was my ego and stuff basically, nothing to do with you.'
Jungkook chuckled lightly. 'I can be a little arrogant, I'm sorry about that. My first impression on others don't ever really seem to go too well.'He then went on to explain some instances of mistakes and poor introductions he had made to people, most of then to important business people. His storytelling ability was golden and at parts you were laughing hard and chipping in with some of your own personal stories of meeting clients and friends of friends and making yourself look like fool.
'It's funny because my first impression of you was completely opposite,' Jungkook said after the impressions chat fizzled.
'Really, what was it?' You wondered curiously, transitioning from the textured rock path to steep stairs. There were quite a few people to be seen walking on the route, however none were particularly near the two of you, so no cramping or eavesdropping on conversations was an issue.
'I thought you were humble and kind,' Jungkook stated, walking behind you on the stairs. 'On the photo-shoot you seemed very professional. The next day I felt awful for dragging you out to meet me, but you were still so sweet.'
You blushed at his kind praise. 'That did wonders for my ego,' you joked. You smiled and felt bad at the contrast between yours and his contrast in the first meeting.
Once the steps reached an end, the rocky path returned, although this time at a much steeper degree. A brief pause in the hike was made so you could look over the edge and bushes to view the progress you'd made so far. The car park was in sight in the distance, however it was impossible to identify individual cars. You spotted a large group of people at the beginning of the path, about to begin the journey.
While you were reminiscing over your previous steps, you felt a sense of calm and a few beads of sweat, but nothing to worry about. The cool breeze brushed through your hair and cooled your rosy cheeks. Worries had disappeared and replaced with joy. The nice conversation and, honestly, fun walk was a good combination for your soul.
Contrasting the view, you looked up the mountain, realising you had simply made a small dent into the wander. Jungkook glanced at you with a smile, nodding his head at the path ahead, asking if you were ready to continue. You smiled back and continued the walk by his side.
The hike was still young.
YOU ARE READING
Blurred Lens
FanfictionAs a new photographer beginning your career in Seoul, entangled in your customers business is not where you want to be. Your client, Jungkook, charmed you unexpectedly and you end up involved in his messy arranged marriage. Things get far out of you...