My Naughty professor ।। PJM।।

15

Author's pov

You watch as Jimin's expression tightens, his jaw clenching as he processes your question. For a moment, it seems like he's bracing himself, almost as if he expected you to ask-or maybe just hoped you wouldn't voice it out loud. His lips part, as if he's about to offer you some kind of explanation, but then he falters, no words coming out except for a low, frustrated murmur that only fuels your irritation.

It's maddening, this silence, this tension between you both. You can see the conflict in his eyes, the words he's holding back, and it only makes your frustration grow. You need answers, clarity, something more than these half-formed thoughts he's keeping locked away. But instead, he stands there, visibly struggling with whatever truth he's reluctant to reveal.

Your own emotions begin to blur-anger, hurt, longing-all crashing together as you hold his gaze, waiting for him to say something that will make sense of it all. But all he gives you is that tense silence, and it takes everything in you not to reach out, to shake him, to demand that he just tell you what's going on in his mind.

The last shred of control snaps, and before you know it, you're standing, stepping out from the confines of your chair and desk. "Say it now!" you demand, teeth clenched, voice laced with frustration. The words hang heavily in the air, echoing louder than you intended.

But in the next instant, reality sets in, cooling your anger like a sudden gust of wind. You realize just how close you are to him, how raw and exposed your words sounded, and you force yourself to calm down, taking a shaky breath as you compose yourself. You're not supposed to care this much, to demand explanations or answers as if you have a right to know his every move. There's nothing between you and him that entitles you to ask where he was, who he was with, or why he left without a word.

Your fists unclench, and you take a step back, swallowing down the jealousy and hurt that had risen to the surface. You turn your gaze away.

His face softens, and the pleading look in his eyes stirs something deep within you. It's a vulnerability you've never seen from him before, a crack in his usual impenetrable composure. His voice comes out raw, almost fragile. "I was stuck in some personal work," he murmurs, each word laced with an unspoken plea. "I'm... sorry."

The apology, quiet and unguarded, catches you off guard. It's as if he's hoping you'll feel the depth of his reasons without him having to say them outright, wanting you to understand the parts of him he can't explain. There's an honesty there that weakens your defenses, making it hard to hold onto your anger.

For a moment, you forget your own hurt and jealousy, lost in his gaze and the way he's looking at you, as if you're the only one who could truly understand him. The questions still linger in your mind, but his vulnerability leaves you speechless, softening the edges of your frustration. You take a slow breath, holding his gaze, and feel the weight of his unspoken words pressing between you, unraveling the walls you've both built.

Jimin watches you, feeling the tension radiating from every part of you, and he knows he's the reason. Your anger, the hurt flashing in your eyes-it's all because of him, because of the things he hasn't said, the answers he's never given you.

He expected you might ask eventually, but hearing it out loud sends a pang of something he can't even name through his chest. Watching you demand answers, he realizes just how much he's been keeping from you, the things he's been trying to shield you from, even if it only makes you more confused and upset. And yet, the walls he's built to protect himself, and maybe to protect you, feel stronger than ever, trapping him in his own secrets.