ᴀɴɢᴇʟ ☑

2. Dinner preparation

Jimin

We trudged towards the kitchen together. "After you," he gestured with his sickening playfulness, gesturing me towards my own kitchen. 

 I let out a silent breath of patience. "So," I dawdled. "How did the accident happen? Do you want to call someone for help?"

"No one will come at this hour of the evening, especially in the torrential rain," he moved his palm to his mouth, wiping it. "Yeah, accident," he looked at me, his hand moving back to grip his nape. "A mongoose came out of nowhere," he explained, his usual vivaciousness materializing deep in a frown.  

My thoughts were running rampant, and my body had a sudden influx of emotions. I did let him in, but now that he was in my personal space, my senses were heightened to the T, but on the top quarters, there was a hazy cloud, making me slow. "Mongoose," I repeated, "how did that happen?" 

"Had the blessed mongoose here, I would've asked him myself. What's your name, by the way?" Jungkook asked, coming to stand behind me as I opened the fridge door and tilted to check the vegetables inside.

"Park Jimin. Who are you?" My voice had a certain edge of jitteriness to it as I hid from him that I'd already gone through his stuff and knew his name. Grabbing a pack of tofu and an egg case, I swiveled. 

His head swayed a bit, probably thinking why was I acting weird, but he didn't say anything. I wasn't myself, my body functioning on its own while my head decided to take a day off. I blinked a few times to focus.

"Jeon Jungkook."

At least he wasn't lying about his identity. Lying test passed. 

"What do you do?" He was asking.

"I am doing my Ph.D. What do you do?" I propped my head with my left hand, brushing my hair back in edginess. 

"Student too. Postgraduate in civics. I might be the future president." He insisted on smiling too much. 

"Well, Mr. future president, beat the eggs." I pulled the drawer to take out a whisk and a bowl, putting it over the counter.

"Look," he sighed, his fingers tracing the rim of white china in a slow manner. "I know it's an intrusion. If you want, I can leave."

My eyes widened a bit, emotions of guilt escaping the bounds and running astray inside me suddenly. My face was down low, so there was no way he could've seen my reaction to his words. I sighed silently. "Where would you go in such heavy rain?" I asked rhetorically, but then I thought of something. "Do you have friends here? Were you visiting someone?"

"No," he stood against the counter, leaning on the graphite tiles while shoving his hands in his pockets. "I was returning to my apartment which is four kilometers from here. There is a vineyard a few kilometers on the opposite side. I drove there for some work."

I was washing meat now. After putting it on the dry plate, I cleaned the knives and chopping pad. "Are you sure it was a mongoose and not alcohol that caused the accident?" 

He suddenly laughed out loud, making me watch for a beat. He was taller by maybe an inch, but with his muscles and tattoos, he definitely looked like a big man. Whereas his face was kind of adorable. How could a man like him look like it? "No, sir," he bowed his head. "I never drink."

The words shocked me. Who didn't drink these days? People now didn't wait for coming of age and started drinking before that. Maybe he was a liar after all. "Tell me you eat meat, at least, otherwise, you know where the door is."

He chuckled, his voice making me feel like I jumped on my feathery bed after a long day. Then he suddenly reached for something behind me, confining me at the spot with his body around me. My eyes lifted and met his black ones as he looked down. "Go sit. I'll prepare the dinner."