Jhope leaned in with a grin. "Alright, now that we're all here, should we start by dividing the work?"
I nodded, pulling out my notebook and flipping it open. But before we could even get started, Jimin, still not looking up from his phone, muttered under his breath, "As long as everyone knows what they're doing this time."
I shot him a glare. "I know exactly what I'm doing, thanks."
Jungkook clapped his hands together, interrupting the brewing tension. "Okay, okay, let's not start again. We're here to work as a team, remember?"
Jhope chimed in, giving both of us a look. "Yeah, we've got a good project going. Let's just focus on finishing it and not, you know, kill each other in the process."
I took a deep breath, determined to ignore Jimin's attitude for the sake of getting this over with. "Fine. Let's just start."
Jungkook, ever the mediator, leaned forward with a grin. "That's the spirit! So, who's doing what?"
As we started discussing the project, things seemed to settle down—at least for a while. Jungkook and Jhope were making jokes, Bora was giving helpful suggestions, and I tried my best to focus on my part.
But every once in a while, I'd catch Jimin glancing at me, his expression unreadable. And every time our eyes met, he'd look away as if nothing had happened.
I couldn't figure him out, and it frustrated me more than I cared to admit. But one thing was clear—I wasn't going to let him get under my skin. Not this time.
We had been working on the project for a few days now, and things were going smoothly. One day, we decided to meet at the library to continue our work. I walked in, noticing that Bora was already there, chatting with another girl, while Jhope and Jungkook had gone to the administrator's office. Jhope's sister was joining the college next semester, and they both went to handle the formalities.
As I entered the library, my eyes landed on Jimin, who was already seated at a table near the window. My immediate thought was, "Great, just what I needed—alone time with Mr. Cold Stare."
I sighed internally and muttered to myself, "When are the others going to get here? I really don't want to be stuck with him."
Jimin's eyes flicked up at me as if he had heard me. He stared for a moment, his expression unreadable, before looking back at his book.
Resigned, I walked over and took a seat across from him, avoiding eye contact. The air between us was thick with silence as I opened my books and tried to immerse myself in the work. But it was impossible to ignore the tension.
Minutes passed, and I started to focus more on the words in front of me. I was lost in the pages when I felt that familiar sensation—the distinct feeling of someone's gaze on me. Slowly, I lifted my head, only to catch Jimin staring at me.
The moment our eyes met, he quickly turned his head, pretending to be focused on something else.
"What was that about?" I thought, slightly annoyed but also a little curious. He rarely paid me this much attention unless it was to make a sarcastic comment.
I tried to shake it off, returning my focus to the books in front of me. But the lingering awareness of his gaze made it hard to concentrate.
It happened again. I caught Jimin looking at me, but this time his gaze was fixed on my lips. I felt a shiver run down my spine as he continued to stare, unflinching, as if he was trying to read my thoughts.
I finally broke the silence. "What?"
He didn't flinch; instead, he kept looking straight into my eyes, and it felt like he was peering right into my soul.
Then, out of nowhere, he pointed at the mole under my lip. His thumb brushed against it gently, and I felt my breath hitch. "Why do you have this mole?" he asked, his voice low and curious.
"Excuse me?" I stammered, caught off guard by his question.
He continued rubbing his thumb over the mole, his expression oddly fascinated. "It's a distraction," he murmured, almost to himself.
My heart raced, and I was about to say something in response when suddenly, Jhope and Jungkook entered the library, Bora trailing closely behind them.
"Hi, guys!" they chimed, their voices bright and cheerful.
"Hi," I replied, but Jimin remained focused on me, his eyes still locked in place.
Bora, sensing the tension in the air, pulled my hand and whispered, "What's wrong?"
I couldn't tear my eyes away from Jimin. He was still staring at me, completely unfazed by the interruption.
Jhope and Jungkook exchanged glances, clearly picking up on the strange dynamic between us.
Then, as if nothing had happened, Jimin broke the spell. "Let's finish it, guys. I need to go home early," he said, flipping through the pages of his notebook like nothing was amiss.
The mood shifted as everyone shrugged off their thoughts and settled into their parts of the project, but I could still feel Jimin's gaze lingering on me. My mind raced with confusion and curiosity. What was happening between us?
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