𝑬𝑵𝑺𝑵𝑨𝑹𝑬𝑫 | JUNGKOOK

9. Apology

Alba's POV

Jimin approached you with a small, smile on his face. "Hey."

You just stared at him. Your fingers froze over the keyboard. Your heart skipped, not in fear, but in a sudden rush of adrenaline.

"Good night—or should I say morning?" his voice echoed with such casual authority. "Isn't it past your bedtime?" He joked with a playful smirk on his lips.

"Business never sleeps," you responded keeping your tone even after collecting yourself.

"Neither do I, apparently," he continued. "I just wanted to say sorry about that night. Jungkook can be a bit grumpy sometimes, but he didn't mean to come off that way." he said in a friendly tone.

Your eyes narrowing slightly as you listened to his words.  "And what about you? The way you treated me?" you asked furiously looking into Jimin's yes.

His smirked and chuckled slightly taking a small step forward. "I... I'm not sure what you mean," he said, his tone uncertain.

You leaned forward slightly gripping your hands on the edge of the desk. "Oh Really? "You don't remember how you spoke to me?

"I was just teasing you." He shrugged, his lips tugging upwards at the corners.

"That's not the way I saw it." You folded your arms across your chest.

"And what did you see?" he asked, his gaze intense and piercing.

You hesitated, not quite sure how to answer him. He was so close that you could smell the fresh scent of his cologne mixed with sweat. "I saw someone who was being rude," you finally answered.

His eyes widened, a flicker of recognition crossing his face. "Oh, I... I didn't mean to-" he stammered.

"Of course you didn't," you cut him off,  "Because people like me are just part of the background to you, aren't we? Not worth noticing unless we're useful." you said in a cold tone.

His face flushed, "That's not fair. I came here to apologize-"

"For your friend," you interjected. "Not for yourself. You didn't even consider that your own behavior might have been a problem."

The tension between them was palpable, Jimin opened his mouth to speak, then closed it again, clearly at a loss for words but then he opened it again. "And if I apologize?" his voice was soft. "Would that make things better between us?" He said pointing between you two.

You bit your lip, your thoughts swirling. "Maybe. It would depend on what you said," you were trying to keep your voice steady.

He laughed softly. "Fair enough." His expression grew serious, his eyes searching yours. "I'm sorry. For everything. I didn't mean to hurt you. I was just having fun and what's your name?" he said in one sentence without taking a breath, his demeanor bordering on flirtatious.

"Alba," you replied curtly keeping your voice firm and unyielding. "I appreciate the apology, but I have zero tolerance for disrespect. I won't entertain any games or flirtatious behavior. So, please, just stay away from me. I never want to see you or your friends again."

His smirk faltered, a flicker of surprise and realization crossing his features. He opened his mouth to respond, but you again cut him off. "If you're serious about the apology, then you'll respect my boundaries," you continued coldly. "And that means not coming to the front desk unless it's for hotel business." you said pointing you and then at the front desk.

He blinked in surprise at your blunt words. "Fair enough," he said, raising his hands in a placating gesture. "No games, I promise. I only came to make amends."