Encounter

Chapter 12 | Between the Lines

The city races by me as I press my forehead against the cool glass of Yoongi's car window, trying to engrave every street and district in Seoul into my memory. This city never sleeps; it's a metropolis alive with constant motion and endless activities, no matter the time of the day.

Boredom doesn't stand a chance here, because there's always something happening. Nightclubs everywhere, karaoke bars glowing with neon signs in every corner, and when late-night cravings hit, the 24/7 convenience stores are a lifeline with lot of delicious variety of food. You can find everything from samgyeopsal to unique local snacks you won't come across anywhere else. These stores are a midnight oasis for the hungry.

And then there are the red tents, those vibrant pockets of street food I remember seeing in countless K-dramas. The scene is always the same: a heartbroken character finds comfort in hot food and a bottle of soju under the warm glow of these tents. I've never tried it myself, but given my situation with Jungkook, maybe now is the perfect time. Because yes, I am fucking heartbroken right now.

My thoughts keep getting interrupted by this heavy scent of orange inside the car. It's so intense that I could practically taste it. The crazy fragrance is distracting me from trying to focus on my Seoul signage memory game. It's just then it hits me that Yoongi and I have been driving for over an hour now – much longer than usual.

I haven't dared to glance in Yoongi's direction, and my neck is starting to stiffen from holding the same position for so long. We passed the Mic Drop Entertainment headquarters about half an hour ago. By now, we should have been at Euphoria Estate. Yet, here we are, still driving.

I have no choice but to finally turn and look at him. Yoongi is driving casually enough, but I can't help but notice how tight his shoulders are and the worry carved on his brow. It's clear now—the one thing I suspected before he even settled into the driver's seat a while ago—he's really nervous. Adding to that, he hasn't said a single word since we left the parking lot, and probably wasn't planning to either. The silence between us grows deafening, so I decide to break it.

"Where exactly are we headed?" I ask, my voice breaking the thick silence.

His head snaps in my direction. "What?" he says, clearly pulled from his own thoughts. "Getting something to eat," he answers, though it takes him a moment to respond, as if he had to leave his daydream and come back to reality.

Okay, so we're going to eat, but he never even asked if I wanted to. Maybe he heard my stomach growl and figured I needed food. After spending hours in the hospital with a throbbing headache, fearing that I might slip into a coma from the injury, yeah, I am really, really hungry right now.

I turned my head back to the window, my gaze fixed on the towering buildings of the city, not really acknowledging what he had just said. Then, he spoke again, this time asking, "Um, do you have any food in mind?"

"Whatever you have in mind first," I replied, staring straight ahead, avoiding direct eye contact. Though all I could think of was trying the food in those red tents, I hesitated—it felt too demanding, and I was certain he must've already had something in mind before I asked about our destination. Besides, given our semi-relationship setup before, I'm sure he still remembers all the foods I like and those I don't.

With him, I vividly remember his love for juicy steaks. And now it clicks—his love for tangerines. I remember how he used to hoard boxes of them, especially when summer rolled around. Ohh... wait. The scent in the car now finally makes sense—it must be the tangerines. I instinctively glance at the back seat, almost like a reflex, pretending it's random, but the sudden movement shoots a sharp pain through my head. But there, confirming the source of the aroma, are two boxes of tangerines resting in the back.