because i love you | jjk

three

from that fateful day on, jungkook had visited that specific cafe every morning before practice-- after their opening time, that is.

he knew it was bad for his health to be drinking this much coffee, especially if he was an idol. but the atmosphere of the cafe was what drew him in.

but in actuality, he frequented the cafe to see ji eun again.

she had left a long lasting impression on him ever since his first visit. from that day on, he had craved the americano that she and only she could make. he wanted to see her face. he wanted to see her long hair. he wanted to see her smile.

overall, jungkook wanted to see her.

ji eun recognized him as a regular costumer. yes, she knew who he was, but she only found out who he was after multiple of his fans had spotted him and asked him for an autograph and a picture.

she couldn't help but wonder why he came so often. he was an idol, and this was a small, family run cafe in the middle of a quiet town. yet, he was always the first customer to walk through the doors, stay for about twenty minutes, then leave. but each time he'd always spark up a conversation with her.

why would he talk to someone as minuscule as her? she would wonder.

her whole life she had been ignored. overlooked would be another word she would use.

her parents had left her alone in korea while they went to do work in america. they never really bothered to contact her, except for the times when they would monthly send her money. but she knew that they only sent her money because of the government. she was against the idea of her parents leaving at first. they were her parents. even if they didn't really have interest in getting to know their daughter, she still wanted them here. she wanted to bond with them like a normal daughter could. but they were more interested in financial gain rather than familial growth. the only thing she had ever heard her father ask her was, "how are your studies?" in which she would respond with a, "good."

then she went out with a couple of so-called "friends" and came home a little too late.

when she came home, they smacked some sense into her, literally, she had learned that her happiness wasn't what mattered to her.

her happiness was seeing someone else be happy.

she was always the pleaser, not the pleased. the giver, not the taker. the asked, and not the answered.

ji eun learned not to be selfish, because in her parents' words, "selfishness leads to unhappiness."

therefore, after her parents left she devoted most of her time to helping the elderly owners of this cafe and their children who also worked as baristas and chefs. on days when she worked, she was always the first here, and the last one to leave.

the rest of the time, she was trying her best in school so she could have a prosperous future. then she wouldn't have to bother her parents about money.

then maybe she'd receive some sort of recognition or praise. but just maybe.

she didn't have many friends at school. there were one or two here or there who would greet her in the hallways, and there were her seatmates in class who always treated her respectfully and lent her a pen when she needed it.

but sometimes she wished she could live a normal life. a life with loving parents, good grades, lots of friends, maybe even invest in an afterschool activity like soccer or band. but she didn't have time to.

she had to work to survive. she was on her own.

she was thankful for the cafe owners who gave her more money than she deserved. they made her life a little easier with each visit. they were more like her parents than her actual parents.

but ever since she had met jeon jungkook that fateful day at four in the morning as she was cleaning counters, her life had changed in the smallest ways.

she made her first legitimate "friend." they had so much in common, and he was genuinely interested in her and her interests.

he was interested in her happiness, and she was interested in his.