First Kiss

International Playboy

He is globetrotting around the world, collaborating with other singers and dating two girls at once, living up to his self-proclaimed title of "International Playboy."

He was not prepared to give up his title just yet.

Totally by accident, one of the girls he was seeing in another city was in town visiting her sister. She was at the mall at the same time as he was there with the other girl he was seeing. Once they confronted each other, the two girls stormed off arm in arm in solidarity after berating Jungkook. He went to follow them to try to convince at least one of them to stay.

Sitting at a small table in the mall's mostly empty food court, you're surrounded by many conversations of people passing by going from store to store and inundated with a mix of different foods cooking. You sit and people-watch. You are taking a break from your book signing event and watch as a television drama plays out before you. The male lead in this mall drama unfolding a few feet away is the man who started your life to become a living hell and why you loathe men like him. 

He was catching up to them when he passed you and heard you laughing, "So you got caught. Serves you right."

You go to stand with your coffee in your hand to walk to the bookstore when he stops and turns.

"What do you find so funny?"

Surprised he even bothered to stop, you turn to him and state, matter of factly, "You."

He approaches, gets in your face, and sarcastically asks, "And just what is it you find so funny, huh?"

"You heard me. I said you." No longer intimidated by him or men like him, you don't back away but stand your ground.

He is flustered and takes a quick look, but the two girls are nowhere to be seen. He sighs out of frustration. "Okay, you messed that up, and now they're gone. So tell me, what about me do you find so funny?"

You sigh and sit at the next empty mall table. "YOU.  You thinking you could pull that shit off." 

He sits across from you, "Who the fuck do you think you are? It's none of your business."

You laugh and sip more of your coffee. "I'm just a girl who has been where they are. Used, misled into thinking the guy cared or loved me, uh them, only to find out they were just a passing distraction, an encounter to brag about." 

You lower your head and whisper, "Or a kiss in the dark."

You narrow your eyes as you look up at him, "I loath men like you." If he could touch the venom he heard in your voice, he would be dead.

He sits back in the chair astonished, "You don't even know me!"

Looking intently at him not breaking eye contact. "Yes, Jeon Jungkook, I do."

He seemed taken aback, "Who the hell are you?"

He suddenly stands up, ready to leave. "You're a sasaeng, aren't you?" He looks around for his bodyguard or mall security. Usually, his bodyguard is close behind unless Jungkook wants distance when he is out with a woman.

You laugh at him, "Sit down, Kookie." You motion for him to sit back down.

"Don't call me that. You don't know me well enough to call me that."

You laugh up at him, "So you have forgotten. I should have known."

He sits back down, confused, "Forgotten what?" What is it about this girl?

"Remember Sang?"

"Yeah, I remember him. What about him?"

"Remember his 13th birthday party? A group of us played Spin the Bottle and... " You can tell by the look on his face that he is remembering.

"Yes, Kooki, you and I were locked in the closet for five minutes, and you kissed me a lot, I might add, and your hands found their way to my breast."

He starts to grin. "Mia? My god, you're beautiful!"

You roll your eyes, surprised he even remembered your name. "Stop. You probably didn't think so then, but you still kissed me, hoping to prove to your friends how manly you were."

He blushes, actually blushes. "Well, yeah, teenage hormones and all that." He is still blushing when he looks away as he sits back in his chair. Then he turns to you and smiles his cute bunny smile, which brings back memories of that night when you were fourteen and he was thirteen.

When the bottle points to him and your name is drawn from the cup, he smiles his cute bunny smile at you. When your five minutes in the closet are up and Sang opens the door, Jungkook is holding your hands in his. Realizing all his friends are looking, he drops your hands and steps out. "I've kissed better," he says, playing it off as if kissing you was nothing.

Seeing your hurt and embarrassment, your best friend Gi squeezes your hand. "Don't let him hurt you. He's just coming into puberty." She rolls her eyes. "Boys, so cute but so stupid."

She giggles, and that makes you stop frowning. She drags you back to the game of spin the bottle. 

You pull away. "I don't want to play anymore, Gi." 

You see Jungkook is back in the game, laughing with his friends about his time in the closet. You feel your cheeks blushing, causing your face to feel hot. You turn away from those playing the game and join some others at the karaoke machine. 

Your friend sighs, knowing how hurt you are. She knows you are crushing on Jungkook. He laughs when the bottle points to him, and he has to take a dare. She glares at him the whole time, hoping he will embarrass himself. But no, he performs the dare stunt perfectly. She gets up with her half-full cup to go ask if you want to go home. 

Accidentally on purpose, she stumbles as she passes behind him, spilling her drink over his head. "HEY!" he shouts. 

"Oops, sorry." She utters as she hurries away toward you, grinning the whole time and starting to laugh when she sees your surprise at what she has done. "Serves him right. Let's go home. The party's no fun with you, so sad." She takes you by the arm and starts walking for the door.

You both say goodbye to Sang on your way out, wishing him a happy birthday. He glances over your body and then winks at you. Stunned, you stand there, and Gi has to pull you away. You see Sang lean over to Jungkook, sharing a private joke. Sang is laughing, but Jungkook is looking at you with his doe-like eyes. You turn away, trying not to cry. 

You felt a little crack in your heart that night because you had a crush on him. He confessed to you while in the dark that he never kissed a girl before. He asked that you not tell his friends, just as the door opened.

You look at him sitting across from you now, remembering how school became a living hell after that night and why you loathe men like him.