𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄𝐋𝐄𝐒𝐒 𝐌𝐀𝐑𝐑𝐈𝐀𝐆𝐄

t h i r t y

A few days passed, and the house felt unusually quiet. Jennie had moved out, excited about her new apartment. Jungkook had been especially helpful, going out of his way to make sure she settled in comfortably. With her gone, the once lively atmosphere seemed to fade. The silence in the house was unsettling, and Jisoo found herself bored more often than not.

Jungkook's mood had taken a sharp turn. He barely spoke to anyone, his face constantly cold and distant. He kept to himself, diving deep into his work and avoiding any kind of conversation. Jisoo, on the other hand, had finished work early one afternoon due to a client meeting getting canceled, and she was enjoying the quiet at home, lounging on the couch when her phone rang.

It was Mrs. Jeon.

"Hello, Jisoo dear, how are you?" Mrs. Jeon's warm voice greeted her.

"I'm good, Mom, how have you been?" Jisoo replied, sitting up.

"I'm worried about Jungkook," she began, her voice tinged with concern. "His assistant, called me. She said Jungkook hasn't been eating properly. He's been too busy with work."

Jisoo frowned, feeling a little unsure. "Oh, really? He hasn't said anything to me..."

"Well, dear, could you bring him some lunch? I think he'll listen to you," Mrs. Jeon suggested gently.

Jisoo hesitated. She didn't want to overstep, but after a moment, she agreed. "Okay, I'll bring him something."

After ending the call, Jisoo decided to make japchae, one of the few dishes she knew Jungkook preferred. Once she finished preparing the meal, she called for a taxi, as Jungkook had taken the car. The ride to his office felt longer than usual, her nerves growing with each passing moment.

When she entered the building, people immediately noticed her. She could feel their eyes on her, the curious glances and hushed whispers. It made her uncomfortable. Was she being too obvious? Did they think she was a new employee?

She was about to approach the receptionist when a younger woman with a bright smile walked up to her.

"Hi, do you need any help?" the woman asked kindly.

"Yes, um... Is Mr. Jeon available?" Jisoo asked hesitantly, clutching the lunch bag a little tighter.

The woman's eyes shifted to the bag, and a knowing smile crossed her face. "Ah, you must be Mrs. Jeon," she said warmly. "I'm Yunjin, Jungkook's assistant. Come with me, I'll take you to his office."

Jisoo followed Yunjin, feeling slightly more at ease. They entered the elevator together, and though they were silent, it wasn't awkward. Yunjin had a friendly aura, and Jisoo appreciated how calm and warm she seemed.

As they stepped out of the elevator, a young man approached them with a teasing grin. "Huh? A new employee, Yunjin? Did you finally convince a model to join the company?"

Yunjin laughed and playfully shushed him. "Shut up, Beomgyu! This is Mrs. Jeon."

Beomgyu's eyes widened in shock, and his teasing expression disappeared instantly. "Oh! I—I'm so sorry!" he stammered, bowing deeply to Jisoo. "I didn't know..."

Jisoo couldn't help but laugh. The whole interaction was light-hearted and amusing. Beomgyu scratched the back of his neck awkwardly, then mumbled to Yunjin, "I thought she was your girlfriend..."

Yunjin gasped, her eyes widening in disbelief. "No way!"

"But you said you're bi—" Beomgyu started to whine, only to be cut off by Yunjin quickly pulling Jisoo away, apologizing profusely for Beomgyu's behavior.

Jisoo waved it off, smiling. "It's fine, really."

They reached Jungkook's office, and Yunjin knocked on the door before stepping aside and motioning for Jisoo to enter. Jisoo took a deep breath, her heart racing. She wasn't sure how Jungkook would react to her showing up unannounced.

She opened the door slowly, stepping into the large, modern office. The space was cold and minimalistic, the walls painted a stark white, the large black marble desk dominating the center of the room. There was a sofa by the door, two chairs in front of the desk, and behind it sat Jungkook, focused on his laptop. The atmosphere felt heavy and silent.

Jungkook glanced up, surprised to see her. He hadn't expected Jisoo to come, but his eyes quickly darted to the bag she was holding. He stood up, motioning her to sit down in one of the chairs. Jisoo's hands shook slightly as she took a seat.

"You didn't have to come," Jungkook said, his tone neutral. "But thanks."

Jisoo swallowed, her nerves getting the best of her. "Your mom told me you haven't been eating. Why?" she asked softly.

Jungkook rubbed his neck, cracking the bones as if the question itself exhausted him. "Just... busy with work."

An awkward silence hung in the air as Jungkook sat on the edge of his desk, his gaze unfocused, lost in thought. Jisoo shifted in her seat, unsure of what to say next.

"How did you find my office?" Jungkook asked after a moment, breaking the silence.

"Yunjin helped me. She's really nice," Jisoo said, grateful for the warm assistant.

Jungkook gave a small nod, his mind clearly elsewhere. He couldn't stop thinking about Yujin—his ex. The betrayal still stung like a fresh wound. He had loved her, given her everything, only to be treated like a fool. The constant messages and missed calls from Yujin, begging to "fix" things, made his stomach turn.

And then there was Sehun—the memories of being bullied, beaten, and humiliated during middle school flashed before his eyes. The pain and trauma had never fully left him, and now, they haunted him even more.

Jungkook glanced at Jisoo, who had taken out her phone and was scrolling through it, probably looking at memes. Her soft giggle caught his attention, and for the first time in days, Jungkook felt a tiny smile tug at his lips. She was beautiful—he couldn't deny that. He wondered if she had ever had a boyfriend before, a girl like her probably did. The thought stirred something in him, but it wasn't anger.

The resentment he had harbored toward her was slowly fading. Hating her without a reason was exhausting, and in moments like this, he felt a sense of relief around her.

Jisoo suddenly looked up, her eyes meeting his. "You should eat," she reminded him gently, standing up to leave. "I'll go now."

Just as she turned to leave, Jungkook stood up quickly and grabbed her wrist, his touch surprisingly gentle. Jisoo's eyes widened in shock as she looked at him.

"Eat with me," Jungkook said, his voice softer now, almost pleading.

Jisoo hesitated but then nodded. She was hungry too, and the thought of going home alone to cook again felt too tiring. She sat back down, and Jungkook opened the lunchbox she had brought.

They both started eating in silence, but the tension between them was easing. Jungkook took a bite of the japchae and was surprised. It was good—better than he expected.

"This is really tasty," he said, glancing at her. "You made this?"

Jisoo blushed, trying to hide it by looking down at her food. She wasn't used to compliments like that, and it made her feel flustered. "Yeah," she muttered shyly.

Jungkook chuckled softly, noticing her reaction. It was the first time in days he felt something light inside him—a small spark of joy.

Finally, something had made his day.