single by twenty five x jeon jungkook

four

"why do you hate jungkook so much? do you know who he is?" eunbi asks me as i hand the cashier all that was left in my wallet. we had walked around the store a little longer to find some stockings, however no to avail since they were so expensive.

"eunbi, when have i ever liked any boy before? they're all the same." i chuckle lightly as the cashier begins to package the lingerie nicely.

"ah.. that's true. but he's jeon jungkook! you told me that you were waiting for someone to come back for you, right? how could that person be any better than the jeon jungkook?" eunbi shakes my shoulders with an eager expression on her face.

"oh, that person doesn't exist anymore." i smile, but it doesn't reach my eyes. i couldn't tell eunbi that the person i had been waiting for had been in fact, jungkook. "i mean, there's a reason why i'm considering stripping now. i just really don't care about finding someone anymore." the cashier hands me the bag of my new lingerie with a cheery smile, followed by a quick "have a nice day". i turn around on the spot and become face to face with jungkook, his expression clear that he had been listening this whole time.

gosh, how did i get so lucky?

"you're not becoming a stripper." jungkook says to me, completely disregarding the frown of the girl beside him. i try to fix my gaze on something else, anything but him and the hickey bruised on his girlfriend's neck captures my attention. not surprising considering they just had sex in the change room. if she was wearing some lingerie, i really hope it was in the pile he was holding because that set was totally infected with some disease now.

"shut up, you don't know anything about me." i squint my eyes at him the same way i did back in the dressing rooms a while ago and he lifts his brow. i couldn't believe the things coming out of my mouth, i never imagined us to be like this. i never imagined him to be just another pretty face of a stranger.

"become my secretary." he speaks slow and firm, yet with desperation in his eyes. i shake my head and roll my eyes at him.

"ha, and work with you? i don't even want to be near you anymore." i retort, moving out of his way and pulling a shocked eunbi with me.

"chaeyoung, wait." my name, my name, my name. i had fantasied about him saying my name so many times it feels ethereal to actually hear it come out of his mouth for real.

"jungkook! we're holding up the line!" the girl beside him whines. of course jungkook would be with a girl like her, fancy with her blonde hair and gorgeous facial features. she is wrapped in a short black halter dress and tall, laced up sandal heels.

jungkook takes out his wallet and shoves a few hundred dollars into her hand before chasing me out of the store.

"eunbyul, was it? can i borrow chaeyong for a sec?" eunbi nods her head quickly, shaking my vice grip off her arm and pushing me towards jungkook, totally disregarding the fact he didn't even get her name right.

jungkook grabs my arm and pulls me a few metres away from eunbi. "you're hired now! can you start on monday?" jungkook rushes his words and says them a little too enthusiastically.

"you told me to leave, and so i did. you had your chance and you blew it. so no, i'm not going to start on monday and no, i am not up for hire either."

"yeah, and you are also not going to become a stripper!" jungkook takes his arm off me when he realises that i was staring at it for a bit too long, and occupying it instead by brushing his dark hair through with it a bit frustratedly.

"why do you care about my occupation so suddenly? why is a stranger wanting to become a stripper so important to you?" a stranger, there that word is again. we're strangers. it still hits me every time, and i cannot bring myself to the thought that this is us.

"a stranger? i mean, no, no, this isn't important to me. you can become whatever you want, it doesn't concern me." jungkook breathes heavily, and his neck begins to flush a deep scarlet. i am smarter to believe this pathetic words, knowing that every time he lies, his neck blushes.

"you're lying, jeon."

"i never cared." he speaks so aggressively, it was almost like he was going to spit on or hit me.