Pythagoras Has Nothing On Me ~ [jikook] ✓

Part 6

She was there.

Jimin knew even before he entered the teacher's lounge that Kim Haneul was at his workplace. She didn't wear scent blockers-hadn't worn them last time either-so the alpha's strong scent permeated the air throughout the whole school, leading right to the room Jimin was supposed to go in. It made him nauseous, made him recall how weak and helpless he felt when she had used her alpha voice, silencing him like it was second nature. She smelled like summer rain and vanilla ice cream, and Jimin knew right there and then that he'd never look at the snack or enjoy the refreshing weather the same way again.

The chatter and laughs grew louder the closer he got to the door and Jimin tried to push back the want to flee down the corridor and out of the school as quickly as possible. Instead, he drew in a deep breath, clenched his fists and morphed his expression into a stone before finally opening the door.

Almost everyone, Jungkook-who sat on the furthest chair in the room chatting with Kim Seokjin-included, had gathered in the teacher's lounge and flocked around Haneul as the female alpha drank a cup of coffee. They looked so happy and pleased that she was there, smiling dumbly at her as if she was some kind of god.

Sure, the female could be considered attractive. Jimin wasn't blind. Even though he didn't swing that way, he could still appreciate the lean figure, sharp cheekbones and rosy lips, accompanied by long, blond and wavy hair that Kim Haneul had in her corner. The issue Jimin had was with all she hid behind that fake glamour, all she kept to herself while being surrounded by unsuspecting people.

And she did it so naturally. Faking politeness was a skill the alpha had mastered perfectly as she gave one of Jimin's colleagues a bright smile and chuckled at their basic joke.

He felt his heart do a flip, anxiety returning the longer he watched her interact.

Jimin was half expecting Haneul to turn his way and command him to stay quiet the moment she saw he was there, but all the female did was greet him with a polite nod. She grinned at him as if nothing had happened. As if her actions didn't leave him with a foul taste in his mouth, a churning stomach and the worst memories of the recent years of his life.

It shouldn't have come as a surprise that Hak Myeong was the first to call out for him, wiggling her eyebrows in a not-so-subtle way. "Mr Park, look who came to visit!" Her excitement was almost offensive at this point, and Jimin wanted nothing more than to yell at her to mind her own business. "Actually, what brings you here, Miss Kim?"

With an elegant sweep of her hair, Haneul nodded at a paper bag that stood next to her on the coffee table. "I've been meaning to return something Mr Park forgot on our date for a while now. I was in the neighbourhood now, had some time to spare and figured I'd just visit you all here!"

A few of his colleagues' eyes landed on Jimin, probably wondering when and what did he lose during their "romantic" date.

"What is it?" Yang Ari asked, looking at the bag. Her eyes went wide a second after she recognised the object inside. "Oh, it's that scarf Jungkook-ssi got him!"

Jimin's attention snapped to the object in question and the omega felt relief wash over him as the bright colours of the ugly scarf winked at him from inside the bag. His small relief was short-lived, though, because while he silently celebrated the return of his lost accessory, Jimin felt the eyes of a very confused alpha focus on him.

He tried to ignore it, but somehow their gazes met anyway. Neither of them said a word. Jungkook was still sitting with Seokjin, their conversation interrupted by all the chatter, too far away to talk but not enough for Jimin to miss how tense and worried the alpha was.

Gulping, Jimin turned his eyes back on Haneul. He couldn't will his voice to be loud and strong and he hated it. Still, he tried his best. "Thank you, I was wondering where I'd placed it."