boomerang

Chapter 9

After meeting Jungkook's grandparents, the party started and she had no choice but to be glued to Jungkook, especially when it was about time to blow the candles. Her eyes slightly widened when Jungkook offered her a small piece of the cake in front of everyone. As the spoon hovered just an inch away from her mouth, Chaeyoung silently cursed him for putting her on the spot, and she had no other choice but to part her lips and accept the cake when she noticed his parents were watching her with big smiles.

She didn't forget to subtly shoot him a glare as she closed her lips around the spoon. When she realized that Jungkook's eyes weren't even on her eyes but locked at her mouth as she pulled her head back and licked the cream of her lips, she felt heat rise around her cheeks. She chastised herself for even overthinking that his action meant something.

Reminding herself that they were supposed to look like a couple, Chaeyoung gently took the spoon from his grasp, scooped a small piece of the cake but made sure that it was mostly the cream before she offered it to him with a forced smile.

Jungkook hesitated for a second, and she noticed how his eyes briefly glanced at the people watching them before he leaned forward to eat it off the spoon. His hand, though, was gently holding hers that was holding the spoon and his eyes were firmly on hers. Panicked, Chaeyoung forced herself to retract her hand as naturally and as calmly as she could. She cursed herself in her head when her hand actually shook, causing the cream to slightly smear right above his lips.

A small chuckle escaped her upon seeing the cream mustache on Jungkook, which caused everyone else to laugh. Her laughter subsided when she heard Jimin's ridiculous solution to that incident was that she should kiss it clean. She had to mentally thank Jungkook for immediately wiping it off with a tissue without sparing a glance toward her.

She had been doing well socializing with every stranger she met, immediately making friends with everyone she talked to despite how brief the conversation went. That soon felt a bit like pressure when she had been making eye-contact with her best friend, whom she felt like she owed an explanation to. After everyone basically was doing their own thing, she managed to slip out of the crowd and found an isolated spot to talk with Jennie.

"Fiancé?"

Chaeyoung released a long sigh. She hadn't even seated herself when Jennie shot her with that single-worded question.

"How am I only finding out that you're engaged today? At your fiancé's birthday party?"

"Look, it's very complicated, okay?" Chaeyoung took her bottom lip between her teeth. "Are you upset?"

"Yes, I am!" Jennie threw her hands in the air before realizing that they could attract attention and she slowly took a seat next to Chaeyoung. "Before you assume anything, no, I am not upset that you're engaged to my boyfriend's friend. I didn't even know who Jungkook was before this birthday party. I just—" Jennie groaned. "I can't believe you didn't tell me anything."

"Well... I didn't know how to tell you. Like I said, it's complicated."

"I can't believe I made you go on a blind date and even tried to be a cupid, matchmaking you with few men when you were already in a relationship," Jennie sighed. "No wonder you've been rejecting them all," she said in realization before turning to Chaeyoung and lightly slapped her arm. "You could've just told me!"

"What?" Chaeyoung breathed.

Jennie lowered her voice and leaned into her. "What if you got unlucky and Jungkook saw you going on a blind date that night?"

She opened her mouth to say something but Jennie cut her off before she could even begin.

"Oh my god. I cannot imagine ruining your relationship with your boyfriend," she shuddered in regret. "Please tell me you weren't already engaged by the time I asked you to replace me for that blind date. Chaeng, I'm so sorry!"