ROAD RAGE | Jaywon

Chapter 17: dinner

JUNGWON

As the final tasks at the booth wrapped up, Taehyun's invitation to dinner was a welcome relief after a hectic day. Despite my initial hesitation, I agreed to join the group, needing a break from the tension with Jay and the stress of the fair preparations.

We gathered at a lively restaurant, and as we settled in, I couldn't help but notice Jay seated across from me. His presence immediately put me on edge, and I wondered why he was there after declining Taehyun's invitation earlier.

"Taehyun, why is he here?" I asked quietly, keeping my eyes on Jay.

Taehyun glanced over at Jay, then back at me with a shrug. "I invited him earlier, but he declined. I guess he changed his mind."

I frowned, not entirely convinced by Taehyun's explanation, but I didn't press further. Instead, I focused on trying to enjoy the dinner and the company of my friends.

When a dish I liked came around, I reached for it with my chopsticks, only to have Jay's chopsticks intercept mine mid air.

I froze, glaring at him as he smirked back at me. "Seriously, Jay? Can't you just leave me alone?"

"Why would I do that when it's so much fun to annoy you?" he replied casually, his tone dripping with sarcasm.

Frustration boiled inside me, but I didn't want to ruin the dinner for everyone else.

Taking a deep breath, I withdrew my chopsticks and rolled my eyes.

His smirk widened, clearly satisfied with himself. "That's what I thought."

I clenched my jaw, feeling defeated once again. I hated how he always managed to get under my skin, no matter how hard I tried to ignore him. The rest of the dinner passed in strained silence for me, my appetite gone and my mood soured by Jay's presence.

As the dinner continued, the lively chatter and laughter from the rest of the group contrasted sharply with my own tense silence.

I picked at my food, trying to tune out Jay's smug expression and focus on anything else. Just as I was starting to zone out, Mijin, one of the volunteers, turned her attention to me.

"Hey, Jungwon," she began, a curious smile on her face. "I was wondering, are you single?"

Her question caught me off guard, and I blinked, momentarily taken aback. "Uh, yeah."

Mijin's eyes sparkled with interest. "Really? I find that hard to believe. You seem like the kind of guy who'd have a girlfriend."

I felt a flush creep up my neck, uncomfortable with the sudden attention. "Nope, just focusing on school and other stuff."

"Well, that's a shame," she said playfully. "I bet you'd make a great boyfriend."

Across the table, I noticed Jay's expression was complicated, his smirk replaced by a tight frown. Jay must've have a crush on Mijin, oh this boy is jealous. Sucks for you Jay, obviously Mijin have a crush on me.

Our eyes met, and I could see the irritation flickering in his gaze.

"Jungwon's too busy with his studies to think about dating," Jay interjected, his tone laced with sarcasm.

I shot him a glare. "What's it to you?"

He leaned back, crossing his arms. "Just stating a fact."

Mijin glanced between us, sensing the tension. "Well, I think it's admirable that you're focused on your studies," she said, trying to diffuse the situation. "But don't forget to have some fun too."

I managed a small smile, appreciating her attempt to lighten the mood. "Thanks, Mijin."

"What about you, Jay? Are you single?"

Jay, who had been leaning back with his arms crossed, straightened up slightly, a smirk playing on his lips. "Yeah, I'm single."

Mijin tilted her head, clearly intrigued. "Really? Someone as confident as you doesn't have a girlfriend?"

He shrugged nonchalantly. "I guess I'm just not interested in anyone right now."

I couldn't help but roll my eyes at his nonchalant attitude. Mijin seemed undeterred, though, her interest only growing.

"That's surprising," she said, leaning forward slightly. "You seem like the type who wouldn't have any trouble finding someone."

His smirk widened. "Maybe, but I'm pretty selective." I rolled my eyes not buying Jay words.

As the dinner came to an end, I bid goodbye to everyone, forcing a smile despite the underlying tension. I headed to my car, feeling the weight of the evening pressing down on me. The moment I sat in the driver's seat and closed the door, I let out a long sigh, hoping to decompress before heading home.

Just as I was about to start the engine, a tap on my window made me jump. I turned to see Jay standing there, an infuriating smirk on his face. I rolled down the window reluctantly, knowing this wasn't going to end well.

"What do you want,?" I asked, trying to keep my voice steady.

He leaned against the car, looking far too pleased with himself. "Just wanted to see if you enjoyed dinner as much as I did."

I glared at him, my patience wearing thin. "Cut the crap, Angry bird. What's your problem?"

He shrugged, his smirk never fading. "No problem. Just enjoying getting under your skin whiny little lamb."

I clenched my fists, my anger bubbling over. "Why do you always have to be such an asshole?"

His eyes flickered with something, maybe amusement, maybe something else, but he didn't back down. "Because it's fun. You're so easy to annoy,."

I could feel my blood boiling, but I forced myself to take a deep breath, not wanting to give him the satisfaction of seeing me lose control. "You know what? I'm done with this. Find someone else to annoy."

I turned away, reaching for the ignition, but his next words stopped me cold.

"Why do you care so much about what I do?" he asked, his tone suddenly more serious. "Maybe it's because you're not as indifferent as you pretend to be."

I froze, his words hitting closer to home than I wanted to admit. Taking another deep breath, I turned back to him, my voice steady. "I care because you make everything more difficult than it needs to be. Why can't you just leave me alone?"

For a moment, Jay's expression softened, but then the smirk returned. "Maybe I just like the challenge."

Without another word, I rolled up the window and started the car, needing to get away from him before I lost my temper completely. As I drove off, I couldn't shake the feeling that Jay's taunting had a deeper meaning, but I was too frustrated and exhausted to figure it out.

A/N: Hi readers, it's your author-nim again. I would like to thank everyone for the support and love you showed for this story!! And I've been thinking if I should upload two chapters in a day, what do y'all think??