Ice-heart

ch- 19 Trip

Jungkook's pov

Weekend bag, packed. Hair, blow-dried. My battle armor is on— I couldn't be more prepared—and I'm still nervous, waiting outside my building for Taehyung to pick me up.

May has turned into a beautiful June, and Seoul is in that sweet spot temperature-wise, not yet sweltering hot and unbearable. Still, I feel too warm, my loose shirt clinging to my skin. What have I gotten into with this weekend trip? Meeting his family? It's madness.

A large gray car indicates and pulls up to the curb, stopping right in front of me. I square my shoulders and try to channel my nerves into excitement.

Taehyung steps out of the driver's door. He's in dark blue slacks and a soft linen shirt instead of his usual suits, but his hair remains meticulously in place. It's impossible to look at him now and not remember how his body feels against mine.

"Hi," I say, unable to stop myself from smiling at him.

He smiles back, bending to grab my weekend bag. "You didn't have to wait outside. I would've called when I got here."

"I like being curbside," I ramble. "It's one of my favorite parts of the city."

He closes the trunk. "You're impossible."

"Impossible, inconvenient, irreplaceable... I'm racking up quite a reputation these days."

"A well-deserved one, I'd say." He turns the key in the ignition, and we make our way out of the city. Seoul disappears behind us in a blurry skyline, replaced by intersections and four-lane highways.

He keeps one hand on the steering wheel, the other casually by his side.

I lean back in the passenger seat, studying his profile. "Are you excited?"

"Not particularly, no."

"Not even for your brother's wedding?"

His eyes slide to mine briefly. "We talk a lot about me. Don't think I haven't noticed."

I blink at him. "No, we don't. I know practically nothing about you! You're the definition of a closed book."

His eyebrows rise. "Nothing? You know a lot, Jungkook."

"I know that you have a Brother and you went to A-one college. Oh, and that you prefer your bagels without sesame seeds."

"Well, those are the most important things about me," he says seriously. "But the sesame thing is deeply personal. Don't tell anyone."

I smile. "A joke, Mr. Kim?"

"Delivered while completely sober, as well." He glances over at me, amusement clear in his eyes. "Have I shocked you?"

"You are definitely more human than usual."

He wraps his fingers along the steering wheel, thoughtfully tapping his thumb along the leather interior. "You're going to have to call me Taehyung this weekend."

"Right, let's set some ground rules."

"I thought we already had rules," he says. "You wrote a contract."

"Yes, but I was thinking...well." I frown, unsure of how to continue.

He smiles at my awkward silence—a genuine smile. "You're not usually afraid to speak your mind, Jungkook. I'm curious now."

I clear my throat. "What are the boundaries? Do you think we need to touch at the wedding reception, or in front of your family, to sell the illusion?"

"The illusion? You wound me, Jungkook."