Please Love Me | JJK

Part 6

Things were going well. You'd met Jungkook at the rooftop restaurant you'd chosen for dinner and it was enjoyable. You talked about your friends, the Nari and Jimin almost-relationship, your siblings, and a bit about work. The night ended well, with you going your separate ways and texting each other a "thank you" and "good night."

It's the last 3 days of the week that had Jungkook in one of his fits again.

His dad went off about a decision on one of their products that Jungkook shouldn't have made, which he could've gotten over soon enough. It was the allusions to his (rebellious) past and tendencies to do whatever he wants without thinking of the consequences that got to him.

But of course his dad had to push it - "I heard you and ___ went out to dinner. That's really good, son. I'm proud of you for giving this a chance," he'd said.

It seems like an innocent statement but to Jungkook, it was but another reminder of what your engagement means in the grander scheme of things, and that choosing his spouse is another way that his dad can control his life, like he already has in other aspects of it.

Add to that, proud? Marrying you is what would make his dad proud? From what he knows of your family, he's sure your dad doesn't treat this potential marriage as an achievement of yours, and he's definitely giving you more leeway, and less pressure, to make your own decision than Jungkook's dad is giving him.

"He's just being hard on you because he knows you can do better," is what Junghyun says, like always.

Jungkook hears it enough to almost believe it but what he dislikes is that it goes back to you again. Should you decide not to push through with it, your parents will be fine; he knows he can't say the same for him, and this just makes him angry.

His frustration gets the better of him, opting to ignore your message asking about your attendance to the kids' soccer game on Sunday. That Friday, Jungkook goes to a bar with his friends, flirts with one of the women, and takes her home.

**

You don't expect Jungkook to show up that Sunday during the kids' soccer game. He didn't respond when you asked, and Minhyuk said he'd seen Jungkook at the bar being too friendly with some woman.

You try not to let it bother you; you're not engaged, and you're definitely not dating. The dinner was just that - a dinner. Jungkook is free to do whatever he wants. You just wish he wouldn't be wasting your time.

He plops down next to you and you turn to greet him. Even in black joggers and a gray hoodie, he still looks good. The bun exposing his undercut isn't helping your heart beat slower either.

"What did I miss?" He asks, eyes squinting to look for Jihoon, his nephew, and Sunghoon, the half of your sister's twins.

"Sunghoon was tripped by this kid so Soojin chased him across the field," you say, laughing at what transpired 30 minutes ago.

"Soojin did what?" He chuckles.

"Chased the kid, wanted to take revenge for her brother."

"And where did she learn that?"

"Hmm, let's see... Seoyeon grew up with 3 very rowdy boys who always teased her so... she learned her lesson and taught her own daughter to fight back. It's just that Soojin is overprotective of her brother so she fights back for both of them," you say, looking out so fondly at your niece.

You spot her near the bleachers and she waves ecstatically at you and her Uncle Jungkook.

It's a nice spring day for a soccer game. Seoyeon and Min-jun are with Yeri with baby Jin-a up front taking photos of their kids while Seokjin and Junghyun are busy coaching the boys' soccer team.

This has become a staple Sunday for your family ever since the kids became old enough to join the little league, and while you can't commit every week, you said you'll try to go as much as you can.

You and Jungkook coo over the kids and their little legs running about the field. You cheer when one of your own makes a good pass or gets near the goal. Jungkook engages you in conversation in between.

You can't help but feel a tiny ache in your heart when he scoots a little closer, prompting you to match his movement with a move away. He notices this but doesn't think much of it, especially with how tender your smile is. You laugh at his jokes and agree they're way funnier than your brother's.

The girls' team is now playing but you and Jungkook remain on your own on the bleachers. You talk about his time being part of the soccer team in high school, with him not so subtly bringing up how you were always somewhere else drawing or painting and never watching. You reminisce on the summer and winter vacations you'd spent together growing up, playing hide-and-seek in your grandparents' homes - he doesn't miss stating you'd never joined - and spending nights secretly watching horror movies with the older ones always screaming or crying during sleepovers. You both laugh hard at that last bit, recalling how your brother never dared touch a camera for years after watching Shutter.

There's a pang in Jungkook's chest when he receives a message from Jimin, saying that according to Nari, Minhyuk had seen him at the bar with some girl and that you most likely know about it. Jungkook turns to your smiling form, body enveloped in your oversized yellow sweater, cheering for Soojin as she runs towards the goal with the ball.

You're not in agreement yet about what the two of you will do, except that you'll both try. What he did was not trying, it was him being a jerk. He was angry and like he'd done before, he'd taken it out on you. Back then, it was feeling an almost irrational displeasure towards you - being distant, being too critical, baselessly judging you; this time, it was taking that woman home and almost fucking her.

He didn't though, that was the thing. They'd made out in the car, her hand inching its way towards his aching member. She stopped and invited him inside her place where they could continue but as she turned around, all Jungkook could see was you.

He apologized to the woman and sped off, spending the rest of the evening and the whole of Saturday cursing at himself for even considering another woman when he should be making up his mind about you. He may not be into you romantically but he's not an asshole; at least that's what he tries to convince himself.

Your shriek over Soojin's made goal breaks Jungkook out of his thoughts. He doesn't know if you're just acting oblivious by not bringing it up or if it genuinely doesn't bother you, but Friday was a moment of weakness and he promises himself it would be the last one, for as long as you're both figuring out what to do.

"Do you want to have dinner this week?"

Jungkook's question catches you off-guard. You suppress the image of Jungkook with another woman and think that you have 2 weeks left to make a decision. Spending time with him should be a priority.

"Sure," you respond with a smile not quite reaching your eyes. "Dinner would be nice."