INTOXICATED

Chapter 6 | An Unexpected Collision

Reema hurried down the hallway of her dorm building, clutching a map of the campus in her hands. Her brows were furrowed as she tried to make sense of the directions scribbled on the corner. "Why is this place so huge?" she muttered under her breath. The overwhelming size of Seoul National University had already begun to take a toll on her, and she hadn’t even attended her first lecture yet.

She was so engrossed in her thoughts and the confusing map that she didn’t notice the tall figure walking toward her.

"Watch out!" a deep voice called out, but it was too late. Reema collided headfirst into what felt like a wall. Papers from her map flew out of her hands, and she stumbled backward, only to be steadied by a pair of strong hands gripping her shoulders.

“I’m so sorry!” Reema exclaimed, looking up, her breath catching in her throat.

In front of her stood a tall man with jet-black hair, tattoos decorating his right hand, and piercings glinting on his eyebrow and lip. He wore a black leather jacket and ripped jeans, his aura screaming confidence and danger. But what stunned her the most was the look in his eyes—dark, deep, and completely lost as they locked onto hers.

Jeon Jungkook felt like time had stopped. The moment their eyes met, he couldn’t look away. Her brown eyes were warm and inviting, and the innocence in them struck a chord in his heart that he didn’t know existed. His lips parted slightly, words failing him as he stood frozen in place.

Reema, feeling increasingly awkward under his intense gaze, waved a hand in front of his face. “Uh, hello? Are you okay?”

Jungkook blinked and snapped out of his trance. He coughed, trying to hide the blush creeping up his cheeks, and let go of her shoulders. “Yeah… sorry. Are you okay?” His voice was soft, almost hesitant—a stark contrast to his intimidating appearance.

“I’m fine,” Reema replied, quickly gathering her scattered papers. Jungkook crouched down to help her, his tattooed hand brushing against hers for a moment. She flinched slightly, surprised by how warm his touch was. He noticed her reaction and pulled his hand back, a hint of nervousness flashing across his face.

Once the papers were gathered, Jungkook stood and handed them to her. “You should watch where you’re going,” he said, his tone unintentionally stern, though his gaze remained gentle.

Reema looked up at him and raised an eyebrow. “Maybe you should too.”

Jungkook was taken aback but couldn’t help the small smile tugging at his lips. This girl wasn’t intimidated by him, and for some reason, that made her even more intriguing. “Fair enough,” he said, scratching the back of his head.

As an awkward silence settled between them, Jungkook’s phone buzzed in his pocket. He pulled it out and glanced at the message. “I have to go,” he said, stuffing the phone back into his pocket. Before leaving, he turned back to Reema. “What’s your name?”

“Reema,” she replied, a bit startled by his directness.

“Reema,” Jungkook repeated, her name rolling off his tongue like a melody. He nodded. “I’ll see you around.”

And just like that, he walked away, leaving Reema standing there, her heart pounding for reasons she couldn’t quite explain.

---

Meanwhile, in the Elite Group's Lounge

Jungkook entered the private lounge where the rest of his group, Bangtan, was gathered. The eldest member, Kim Seokjin, looked up from the table where he was arranging snacks and sighed. “You’re late again, Jungkook.”

“Got held up,” Jungkook muttered, dropping onto a couch. He leaned back, replaying the earlier encounter in his mind. Her eyes... why couldn’t he stop thinking about her eyes?

“By what? A fight? Another girl?” Min Yoongi, the second eldest and the coldest member of the group, raised an eyebrow, his tone teasing but curious.

“No,” Jungkook said quickly, his ears turning red.

“Oh?” Park Jimin, the group’s notorious flirt, perked up. “Don’t tell me our Jungkookie has finally fallen for someone!”

Jungkook scowled but didn’t deny it, which made everyone in the room freeze for a moment before bursting into a mix of laughter and surprise.

“Wait, wait,” Kim Namjoon, the group’s intellectual and leader, interjected, trying to make sense of the situation. “You’re serious? You just met someone, and you’re already smitten?”

“I’m not smitten,” Jungkook grumbled, crossing his arms. “It’s not like that.”

“Yeah, right,” Kim Taehyung, the artistic and goofy member, chimed in. “Your face says otherwise.”

Jungkook groaned and buried his face in his hands. “I bumped into a girl, okay? She’s... different.”

Seokjin, the mother of the group, placed a comforting hand on Jungkook’s shoulder. “Different how?”

Jungkook hesitated, his mind flashing back to her shy yet confident demeanor, her warm brown eyes that seemed to see right through him. “I don’t know... she just is.”

The room fell silent for a moment before Hoseok, the group’s sunshine, grinned. “Well, sounds like we’ll be meeting someone interesting soon.”

---

Back to Reema

Reema finally found her way to her classroom, her encounter with Jungkook lingering in her mind. She shook her head, trying to focus on the lecture, but it was no use. His image—his tattoos, piercings, and those piercing eyes—kept flashing before her.

“Why am I even thinking about him?” she muttered to herself, frustrated.

Her phone buzzed on the desk, and she saw a message from her sister.

Shirin: How’s your first day going, sugar?

Reema smiled and quickly typed back, It’s going well. I met some… interesting people.

As the lecture droned on, Reema couldn’t help but wonder if she’d run into Jungkook again. Little did she know, fate had already decided that their paths would cross again—and soon.