THE MANAGER NIM

75. CLANDESTINE MEETING

IU, with her burgundy hair cascading around her shoulders, determination and sadness-brimming eyes, stands across Maaran in the center of the room. You can see Maaran's jaw clenched and his gaze distant, lost in the tumult of his own conflicting emotions. Jungkook could feel your heart pounding against the ribcage as you both continued to witness that clandestine meeting hiding behind the huge vanity mirror in the dark corner.

"Sunbae" she begins, voice trembling with anxiety. "What's the matter?"

"Ji-Eun'ah..." A flicker of guilt crosses his features and he shakes his head in denial, followed by an exasperated sigh indicating his mental state. "You really need to stop!"

"Stop what? Following you like a lost puppy even when you treat me like a    pile of dirt?" Although she asks with a solid smirk plastered across her lips, feigning a playful outlook, the female in you sense the pain burdening her chest.

Maaran sighs again, his annoyance evident in the furrow of his brow. "You know what I mean Ji-Eun, stop messing with Jungkook, he is not your play toy. He is a grown ass man and you can't fiddle with him just because you want to seek_"

He pauses, weighing his words for a moment. His eyes flicker towards her briefly. Ambushed by those small eyes that seem to condemn his callous behavior vehemently, he lowers his gaze to the floor.

"Seek what? Attention? Revenge? Or unrequited love?" she asks, her eyes resembling a wounded tiger.

"I... I don't understand what you're talki_" Maaran tries to back off from the track the conversation is going on.

Right then IU becomes hysterically volatile, one minute she laughs like a maniac, and the next moment her expression collapses into a puddle of grief. She grabs him by the collar and drags him closer.

"You don't know? Seriously? Do I look like a full-blown idiot to you? Do you still consider it as some casual college crush? 5 years, Maaraa! For the past 5 years, I've been tormented day and night by this unrequited love of mine. There isn't a day I don't think about you and nights I weep for you! Don't you dare feign innocence to my feelings!"

Not only Maaran, but even you both feel the tremor in her voice and it's the first time for Jungkook to witness his idol in such a woeful state. The K-pop queen who reigns the Hallyu world surrounded by glam and glitz is standing there like a withered rose crippled by love. Although you somehow guessed her feelings for Maaran since the day Maaran landed in Korea, you never guessed it was this deeply rooted.

She turns to walk away in a fit of rage but something stops her and she whirls back towards Maaran, her eyes blazing with fire.

"You know what? I do know why you want me to stay away from Jungkook. You don't want your dear friend y/n to get hurt, right? You want to keep her heart safe from harm, but why don't you have the same compassion for mine?" she continues, eyes stinging with tears. His placid demeanour proves whatever she is saying is right.

"If you want me to stop, then you should stop first! Seeing you get all worried about her feelings while nonchalantly trudging over mine, running to her like a service dog whenever she needs you, and worst of all, hiding your true feelings behind the façade of friendship despite knowing that her heart belongs to Jungkook makes you look pathetic and I hate seeing you like that."

Your heart misses a beat, ears ringing with the revelation of Maaran's feelings for you and the pain evident in IU's voice proves it true. As IU verbalized it, you realize how he has always been there for you, and comforted you with a warm smile. Startled by the sudden realization you look at Jungkook only to find him softly smiling at your obliviousness. Seems like he knew it way before.