Love In Disguise | Liskook

Forced Collaboration

The next few days passed, and their bickering showed no signs of stopping. Lisa, who usually wore baggy, boyish clothes, was constantly teased by Jungkook, not in a serious manner but rather in an annoying one.

"Hey bro, what's up?" Jungkook attempted to initiate a bro handshake with her, but he received disgusted looks from Lisa instead.

"Bro? Why are you calling me bro? I'm not your bro," she retorted, growing increasingly annoyed.

"Oh? You're not? My bad. Sorry, bro," Jungkook continued to tease her.

"Oh, really? If that's how you want to play, then alright sis!?" Lisa smirked victoriously after seeing the expression on Jungkook's face.

"Sis? Seriously?" Jungkook's irritation was evident.

"Yeah? Sis? What's up? You wanted to play the game, right?" Lisa countered, enjoying her newfound role.

Jungkook sighed, shaking his head in disbelief. "Fine, if that's how you want to play it, then bring it on, bro."

Lisa grinned mischievously. "Oh, you're in for it now, sis." She emphasized the word 'bro' with a playful smirk.

Their banter continued throughout the day, each trying to outdo the other with witty comebacks and playful jabs. Despite the teasing, there was an underlying sense of camaraderie between them, a bond that grew stronger with each playful exchange.

In the same class, Lisa sat next to Rosé in the third row, just before the last bench. Behind them were Jaehyun and Eunwoo. Jungkook, on the other hand, occupied the last bench in the first row with Mingyu. In front of him sat Jihyo and Mina, who were in the row just before the last bench.

Their English teacher, who also served as their class teacher, entered the room and began preparing for something. After a few minutes, she announced to the class that they had an English assignment to complete in pairs, with the pairs chosen by the teacher.

There was a collective sigh of disappointment from the students as the teacher started arranging them into pairs. Unexpectedly, Lisa and Jungkook were paired together.

"Jihyo and Mina, you two are a pair. Mingyu and Eunwoo, you're another pair. Rosé and Jaehyun, you're together, and Lisa and Jungkook, you're partners for this project," the teacher announced calmly, though Lisa and Jungkook's eyes nearly popped out in disbelief. They detested the idea of working together on a project, especially given their mutual dislike for each other.

Both of them stood up, glaring at each other, and protested vehemently.

"Ma'am, you can't do this to me. I don't want to be paired up with him. Anyone else is fine, but not him," Lisa pleaded.

"And you think I want to be paired up with her? Ma'am, please change the names. I don't want to work with her. Please," Jungkook added, also pleading with the teacher, but to no avail.

"Quiet, both of you. This is final, and I cannot change it! No more arguing or shouting. Back to your seats now!" the teacher insisted firmly.

Lisa and Jungkook exchanged annoyed and disgusted glances one last time before reluctantly returning to their seats. Their friends were also concerned about their forced partnership, knowing full well how much they disliked each other.

"And one more thing. Until this group project is completed, all of you should sit next to your partners. That way, you can finish the project faster. The deadline is in August, which is in 5 months, so everyone has to work on this project even during the summer holidays. All the best, dears," the teacher added, finalizing the arrangement.

Lisa and Jungkook were speechless. They exchanged frustrated glances, both longing to change partners. Both of them were seething with anger and annoyance.

Both of them had to switch places, so they both threw their bags onto the table of their new bench. With reluctant sighs, Lisa and Jungkook exchanged glances before gathering their belongings and moving to their new seats. As they settled into their new positions, the tension between them was palpable, but they knew they had no choice but to endure each other's company for the duration of the project.

As the class continued, Lisa and Jungkook stewed in their seats, each lost in their own thoughts. They couldn't fathom how they were going to survive working together on a project for the next five months, especially with their constant bickering.

Their friends, noticing their discomfort, exchanged concerned looks but didn't dare intervene. It was clear that Lisa and Jungkook needed to sort out their differences on their own.

When the bell finally rang, signaling the end of the class, Lisa and Jungkook remained seated, still grappling with the reality of their situation. They were the last ones to leave the room, both deep in thought.

As they walked out of the classroom, Jungkook hesitated for a moment before speaking up. "Look, I know we don't exactly get along, but if we're stuck working together, we might as well try to make the best of it."

Jungkook wanted to finish the project as quickly as possible so that they could get rid of each other and also enjoy their summer holidays without thinking about school or the project. He yearned to relax during the summer break.

Lisa raised an eyebrow, surprised by Jungkook's unexpected gesture. "And what do you suggest? Pretend to be best friends for the sake of the project?"

Jungkook chuckled lightly. "No, definitely not. But maybe we could set aside our differences and focus on getting this project done. Who knows, we might even surprise ourselves."

Lisa considered his words for a moment before nodding slowly. "Fine, but let's make one thing clear: I still don't like you."

Jungkook grinned. "Duly noted. Now, shall we start brainstorming ideas for this project?"

And with that, they began to discuss their project, setting aside their animosity in favor of cooperation, albeit begrudgingly. It was the beginning of an unlikely partnership, one that would challenge them in more ways than they could have imagined.