Empty Space | Jeon Jungkook

Part 07

**

A week later, you see him again. You heard from Jin that he and his partner came back two days after you first saw them, with Jungkook seemingly looking for someone, prompting your boss to ask you about your relationship with the officer.

"Knew him from home, now I don't," that's all you said.

Jin softened at you, knowing that while you're not normally an open and expressive person, it takes a lot for you to be bothered like this.

This time, when the two men enter, you're prepared. Yeonjun helped you practice an unwavering, professional smile and speak without stuttering, as if you've never done this before. Of course, they don't train you when you have to serve the man who betrayed you and pretend that seeing him doesn't break your heart all over again.

"Hi, Officer Kim, Officer Jeon. Nice to see you again," you say, bowing in their general direction but turning to the former. "What would you like to have?"

"Please, just Taehyung," he smiles, acting like he's not curious as to the change in demeanor. "The usual, two iced americanos please. And..." His eyes move to the glass counter. "Do you still have that free bread for us?" He asks, his fingers drumming on each other. "Or not, I mean, we could totally pay—"

"Don't worry about it, the offer's on for the next couple of months," you say, your practiced smile on display.

Jungkook notices this and his heart hurts at how hard you're pretending.

You hand both of them their orders and ask if there's anything more they need, to which Taehyung replies that there's none. You smile again and glance at Jungkook who lingers by the counter, seemingly wanting to say something, until you call out, "Okay, have a good day!" You turn around and ask Hoseok to cover for you while you take a short break.

He shows up again the morning after on his own this time, then the next, then the next.

It's Friday of that week when Jin takes Jungkook's order and finally asks, "not to be blunt, Officer, but how bad must it have been between you and ___ for you to be coming in everyday and for her to keep dodging my questions about you?"

Jungkook sighs. "Busted, huh?"

"You're not that subtle, actually," Jin laughs. "I won't tell you her shifts apart from the Tuesday one you already know, though."

"I won't ask, that's why I've just been coming in everyday to see. I have access to the street surveillance cameras but I wouldn't go that far..."

"I was hoping you wouldn't."

"Don't worry about it, I'm not a creep. I just... wish I can properly say hi and not get tongue-tied when she's standing in front of me after four years of not seeing her and—"

The bell rings and you're bursting through the door, hands full with paper bags filled with pastries you experimented on the night before for the team's taste-test.

"You're... here," Jin says, concern laced on his face as his eyes flit from you to Jungkook.

"I texted you about having an earlier shift," you say, immediately regretting that you'd basically given away that you start later than 2PM on Fridays. You shake your head. "I'll fix up."

Jungkook takes this chance to walk towards you and call your name. But you're too fast and seemingly undisturbed to respond to him, and you make it to the staff room before he gets too close, and sigh.

It has been so long since you last heard him call your name and you hate the way your heart skipped a beat at the sound. Four years later and he still has that effect on you. Who said anything about moving on?

**