Paper Cranes | Park Jimin

6: Dating

"No," I repeated for the umpteenth time today. "Jimin and I are not dating."

I smiled wryly at the girl who approached me and excused myself.

The first time someone had thrown the question about Jimin and I dating early in the morning, a shiver woke up my whole being. I had to stop the urge to curl myself into a ball and hide inside my locker.

However, as of this moment, I felt nothing anymore. It was as if rejecting their speculations and saying no rolled out of my mouth so naturally.

The idea was just so... highly unlikely. Besides, people had only probably saw us talking. Such creepily advance kind of thinking to assume that we were dating just because of that.

Also, Jungkook was a guy and I had been with him more than Jimin, so that was weird why no one had ever connected Jungkook with me.

Not that I wanted people to do so.

I just did not get it why if it was Jimin, it always had to affect me in the most unfortunate way.

"You know, I'm so close to believe you and Jimin are really dating," said Hira, and I shot her a look of disbelief. "I think you both look cute together."

"Aww, I love my boyfriend so much. Ha ha." I made a face.

Hira laughed so hard, too much that I had to save my life by leaning on the wall when she practically shoved me to the side in her enthusiasm.

Jungkook definitely had to stop joking around this girl or he'd be risking his life in danger.

Days had passed since my encounter with Jimin, and he had not visited me lately either. Yet that did not change the fact that the people who had seen us had shared a gossip or two, that it even reached Hira.

After I had told Hira the important aspects of the whole story, she felt ecstatic about it—going over at how fate probably destined Jimin to cross paths with me.

But in my opinion, it kind of only screamed trouble. More like fate wanted to end my life earlier and this was its way to speed up the process.

"See you around, Haneul!" she sweetly said.

I wasn't sure if I was disappointed that we had to part ways already, or grateful that Hira wouldn't be able to tease me further.

"And could you please..." Hira gave me a stern look. Or so at least she tried to, since her lips cracked into an amused smile. "Stop cringing so much. You look like a fish being electrocuted back to life."

I tried to imagine the picture and gave her a sour look. How did she even come up with that?

"You did it again!" Her laughter echoed across the hallways.

This girl was just too happy to see me suffering. Why are we even friends?

"I hope you trip on your way to class," I deadpanned.

"Oh don't be cranky just because you haven't seen your Jimin-oppa."

My mouth flew open, astounded as Hira left me speechless.

"I'm good. I'm done." I turned on my heel, crossing my arms and blew on my bangs, ready to walk away.

"Tell Jimin-oppa I said hi!" yelled Hira from behind me and I squeezed my eyes shut, not sure whether to be embarrassed for her or myself.

"Haneul, fighting!!"

Gosh. I mentally cried, not sure which funeral I wanted to organize: hers or mine.

↠

If I answered yes instead of rejecting the rumors, would people finally stop asking me? I had pondered about it for a while now and weighed the pros and cons.

It wasn't like I cared if any issues were to rise about me. What people thought about me probably came last in the list of things I had to bother with. That is, if I even had anything to list.

I just wish people stop it with the same thing over and over again. I was so close to stapling a sheet with a "NO WE ARE NOT DATING" sign on my shirt. So close, like the gap on Jimin's eyes whenever he smiled.

"Are you two close?"

If you'd call the distance between the Earth and the Sun close, then the answer would undoubtedly be yes.

I dropped my pen for a moment and stared at my work. With a small huff, I thought of an appropriate answer to prevent this conversation from furthering.

"We've talked before, but there's nothing going on between us," I informed her without meeting her gaze. "People need to stop fussing over."

Technically, I had talked to Jimin before, and it sounded better than being defensive when there was no reason to fend over it anyway.

"But I heard Jimin isn't close with any girl in this university. You must feel lucky," surmised Kia.

I shrugged, hoping she would get it that I didn't want to talk more about it. For the first time in my life, I actually wished that our professor was here instead of just leaving an activity to the subject representative. In that way, Kia wouldn't find an opportunity to attack me with her nonstop queries.

Unlike her, the rest were busy with their tasks. Either that, or they got the hint that I wasn't really eager to entertain questions.

"Uh, Haneul..."

I held my breath as I lifted my gaze. Obviously, the male's voice didn't belong to Kia.

The sides of Woozi's mouth were slightly quirked up, as if he was trying to read the atmosphere. So to brush away his hesitations, I gave him a small smile with a quizzical expression. He was the person I talked most to in this class.

"Someone's looking for you outside," he finally said.

"Hmmm? Do you know who?"

"Oh, that I forgot to ask." He scratched his head, looking apologetic.

I stood up from my desk and with a wave of my hand, said, "It's okay, don't worry. And thank you."

Woozi returned to his seat and I headed out of the room.

"I swear, if this is Park Jimin again I am definitely suing," I mumbled to myself whilst turning the knob.

But then, I guess no charges would be pressed. Instead, I found a guy with glasses, leaning on the wall with a concentrated look on his face.

I cleared my throat subtly and Kim Taehyung whipped his head to my direction.

"I heard you were looking for me?"