Obsession | JJK ft. PJM

23 Let's Get Drunk Baby

"That ominous warning usually means a really bad one is coming!"

- James Hurst

"It's your day sweetheart," your father nudges you. "Where do you want to eat?"

You look around the campus, one last sweep hoping to spot your doe-eyed boyfriend amidst the huge crowd dispersing in every direction possible. Defeated, you nod your head.

"Italian sounds good. Let's go to Jangseng Geongangwon." You want to hurt Jimin's pocket, if not his feelings the way he hurt yours. You look at your hopeful parents, they wait for the cab innocently. No matter how badly you want to avoid Jimin, you can't bring yourself to explain to your parents what actually happened, it'll ruin the day. So, you suck it up.

Reaching the destination after a small cab ride, you sigh in relief. Your stomach had been grumbling all day due to nervousness and hunger. Your mother pays the cab driver and while you wait outside, arm clamped around your father's.

"Don't you think this place is a bit upscale?"

"It is upscale," you shrug. "But Jimin can afford it. He wanted to treat us, here we are." Hearing you say it so simply makes him chuckle. Your mother joins the party and you enter the restaurant cum bar.

The interiors are mostly wooden with a dim-lit setting. There is a long bar adorned with every variety of alcohol imaginable. The oak brown bar stools welcome you like an old friend. You gesture at the bar, nodding in your parents' direction while they make a beeline for the restroom. Just old people things – the need to use a restroom every now and then in short intervals.

You had sent a text to Jungkook when you had reached along with your live location, so it'll be easier for him to find you when he is free from whatever was holding him occupied. You don't want to overthink but alarming thoughts enter your mind, trying to take your collective sanity away.

What if he doesn't want to see you anymore?

What if he met someone else?

What if something serious happened to his mother?

What if something serious happened to him?

You gulp hard, thinking about the last possibility. He better be safe. The word "safe" reminds you of the past few months. Safety has been your top priority but you had mostly failed to meet it. Your mind wanders to the letters, the texts, the pillow, the dead rat. And you wonder who could've been so cruel to want to hurt you like that.

And if wanting to hurt you was the purpose, why have they stopped suddenly?

You haven't received any form of communication from EAP, or whoever that is. You should be happy about it, a huge burden of protecting yourself from the unknown has been lifted.

But it still feels like it's not over, as if it's the calm before the storm.

You had ordered a gin martini and your parents were busy munching on Spiedini - delicious meat and onion kebabs. You had ordered Italian Meatballs, the impeccable cure to your hunger, and its taste did not leave you disappointed. Eating a proper meal while enjoying a cocktail at a bar wasn't the conventional way to do it, but when have you ever wanted to approach life conventionally?

Jimin hadn't arrived yet, making your parents come up with an explanation. He's your ex and he would probably not want to be in the same room as your current love interest, right? They try calling him nonetheless, just confirming whether he reached his hotel safely but he doesn't answer, making them worry. You couldn't care less about him, he has a habit of vanishing and appearing back without any warning. That's just classic Jimin.

Boredom hits you soon along with the stimulus of the third drink you had that evening. It's difficult for you to understand what the bartender is saying to you. Or is he even talking to you? Drinking on an empty stomach is never a bright idea, so is mixing different kinds of alcohol all at once. You probably shouldn't have done that. But we all have our vices, don't we?

You took out your phone to drunk text Jungkook, asking for explanations even. But you stop in your track when you see a voicemail sent by Wendy. Squinting your eyes, you try taking a clearer view of the timestamp and notice that it was sent in the morning after you had left your shared apartment. Had you been sober, you would have ignored it because it makes you feel upset but you were drunk and bored and lonely.

You try to click on your screen, aiming it pointlessly, but your fingers shake and you end up clicking on another voicemail. It was an older one sent by a classmate of yours. Annoyed, you grumble and take another sip of your hard drink while the audio keeps playing over the background music in the restaurant.

Someone takes away the drink from your hold, making you form a pout and grumble harder. "No fair!"

"That's enough for today, ____."

Your head spins in the deep voice's direction faster than Barry Allen jumps from one timeline to the other. His doe eyes burn holes into yours, his furrowed brows look worried and a selfish part of you enjoys the fact that he cares about your wellbeing. His muscular arm puts the drink on the bar's table. You hear your father say something followed by your mother but perhaps due to the plastered state of your mind, or maybe the presence of Jungkook in his black shirt pulled up to his elbow makes everything feel like white noise.

"Why are you here?" you ask stupidly, covering your mouth quickly to take back what you just said. He takes a step closer, making heat rise in your body. Is it the alcohol or is it his presence, or both?

"You texted me the address, remember?"

"Oh," you lower your head in anticipation. "Where were you all day?"

"I had an emergency." You look up at him, finding him starching the nape of his neck nervously. "My mum had an episode, I had to rush her to the hospital."

"My goodness, how is she now?" Your mother beats you to it. "What did the doctor say?"

"She'll be fine, it was a post-trauma response. She keeps having them sometimes, it used to be no big deal but this particular one was intense." She holds his hand in hers. Maybe she knew his mother before she was met with this unfortunate fate. "I'm sorry, I couldn't come to your graduation. I want to make it up to you." He gets on his knees and puts his unoccupied hand in your lap, looking up at you expectantly.

"Please don't apologize, Jungkook. You did what you had to do." You slur, forming the words slowly. You regret drinking so much. You wouldn't have if you knew Jungkook will find you. "I just hope she gets better."

You notice how tired and worn out he looks when you get a closer peek at his face. He looks just as handsome, if not more but there's an aura to his demeanour that seems like today's chaos aged him a little. You take his face in your hands and place a soft kiss on his forehead, making your father roll his eyes. You can just feel your parents' awkwardness when they get up.

You give them your apartment keys for retiring and after many sincere apologies and requests by Jungkook your father allows him to take you for a long drive, as a post-graduation celebration. The fun time never seems to end, you feel like a kid at a candy story – Jungkook being that giant rainbow-flavoured lollipop that every kid wants but only you can taste.

"This your car?" you inspect the Cadillac from afar, surprised that he could afford it. You obviously can't, you don't even own a second-hand car, forget about a new one. Besides, you had to pay for the drinks and food at the restaurant since Jimin didn't come at all, and you couldn't put the burden on your parents. It hurt your bank account like hell, and you probably wouldn't be going shopping this month as collateral damage. Maybe if you work extra shifts at the bar, you'd be able to compensate.

"Nah, I stole it." He smirks.

"Wait, are you serious?" you stare at him, stunned.

"Just kidding," his sinister smile widens, making your spine tremble. "Now, get in! We have a long way to go."

"Where are you taking me?"

"You'll see."

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A/N : Okay guys brace yourself.