Paper Cranes | Park Jimin

24: Boiling Point

"I know he lives here and I need you to bring him here right this instant or I will bang on every door and find him myself!"

"But Miss, it's against policy—"

"I don't fucking care about your stupid policy."

The woman continued her incessant tirade, indifferent towards the people giving her judging glances.

A distance away was the security guard, uncertain if it was already his cue to drag the woman out of the building already, also conflicted since many people were entering and exiting the premise, and he was on duty alone.

Out stepped Haneul when the elevator doors slid open. She swept her hair behind her shoulders and meandered past the reception counter, lost in her own thoughts with half-lidded eyes.

"I am going to have you fired, do you hear me?" the woman barked.

At this, Haneul's steps came into a halt. She spared a glanced over her shoulder. It wasn't like her to involve herself into anyone's business, but seeing the troubled expression of the receptionist and hearing the guard mutter something under his breath, she instinctively stepped back and twisted on her heel.

"Hey," Haneul broke in. "Is anything wrong here?" She raised her brows at the receptionist and they shared a knowing look for a second.

"And who are you?"

The people in the lobby had grown more interested at the drama about to unfold.

"I asked first. But hey, I'm Min Haneul," she sweetly replied, lowkey irked at the woman's rudeness, but she was older and Haneul respected that.

"Well, you see, I'm looking for my boyfriend, and this girl right here," she paused, pointing her finger intensely at the receptionist, "is in the way. Do you even know what you're doing?" the woman criticized the receptionist.

Haneul took a deep breath in. "She's doing here job perfectly fine. I hope you know what you're doing."

"Excuse me?" she shrilled. "And who are you to tell me that?"

Too bad. This was one of those days Haneul wasn't having it, and her hunger pushed her further.

"I don't know if you're just forgetful or what," began Haneul. "However, I am sure that she is just doing her job, and you, on the other hand, Miss, is making a ruckus. We highly value peace and order around here. And if you have any remaining self-respect in you, you would leave her alone, let alone this building. I apologize if your boyfriend is playing hide and seek with you that you have to vent your anger on him to an innocent person. You'd rather save your whining for when you find him rather than lashing it out shamefully doing so in public."

The woman's face went beet red as she stared at Haneul. Her mouth flew open, but she closed it again and huffed in frustration. She was flustered, but carrying the remaining pride in her, she crossed her arms and rolled her eyes.

"Why would my boyfriend even live in a cheap place like this?" she voiced out rather loudly.

Maybe to hide from a cheap person like you?

Haneul shook her judgmental thoughts away, watching the woman stomping her way out. Once she was gone, Haneul turned to the receptionist with a sorry smile and gave her a dismissive nod.

Amused giggles erupted from the distance, followed by a side-comment aimed at the woman who had just walked out, and then almost everyone in the lobby who had witnessed the scene had their attention on her.

Haneul squeezed her eyes shut, biting her lips. She spun around, keeping her head low and bowed politely to anyone who shared eye contact with her.

In her hurry, she bumped into someone who purposely blocked her way.

"Well, that was an interesting scene."

Haneul lifted her head, a pout landing on her lips. "Did I overdo it?"

↠

MIN HANEUL

Jimin laid a cup in front of me. Without much thought, I lifted the drink to my lips, only to get my tongue burnt. I winced, and he chuckled beside me.

"I assume you are fully awake now?"

I glared at him through the corner of my eyes and averted my attention elsewhere as I took a bite on my sandwich.

Sometimes it still felt weird being around him casually like this again.

It started from my message, thanking him for the favor he had done for me. At first, it was an exchange of awkward texts; plain, bland and boring. Until he decided to tease me over every single tiny detail he could throw at me.

And then we were back to normal.

Well, at least on the surface everything seemed normal.

All thanks to Jimin totally oblivious to my feelings for him.

I cringed, glowering internally. Just the thought that I actually fell for his charms sent both butterflies and caterpillars fighting with swords inside my gut.

To be honest, I had been itching to just ditch him out of nowhere. But what would I excuse myself with?

Jimin, we can't be friends because I like you and that's wrong.

So instead, I practically left it alone and endured it, being ever so cautious and maintaining that invisible barrier separating me from Jimin.

Nonetheless, I knew well enough this all had to stop. He had a girlfriend. She wouldn't be so happy to find out that her boyfriend was hanging out too often with someone who liked him. It just screamed trouble all the way up to the farthest department of my logical brain.

"You look like you're about to fight someone," Jimin unnecessarily commented and laughed.

"I'm about to fight you and your stupid ass." And I wasn't joking.

"Woah, what happened to your food filtered mouth."

"My what?"

I narrowed my gaze at him, but he didn't reply. He rested his arms on the table on a semi-circle, eyes fixated on the empty center. He was smiling, yet it appeared empty. Like a smile you'd pull out upon scanning the test paper and immediately knowing you're done with.

Why does he have to look cute, though?

I squeezed my eyes shut, mentally stabbing myself multiple times. Getting myself together, I blinked my eyes open. I was caught off guard when I was faced with Jimin who was already looking directly at me. As if he had just been waiting for my gaze to meet his.

"Haneul," asked Jimin, staring right through my eyes, and I could not turn away. "Have you ever felt unsatisfied with something but can't tell why?"

An uncomfortable knot twisted inside me, my shoulders felt heavy.

It was a complicated and vague question, but I wasn't too dense. I was confident that I had interpreted what he meant correctly.

But whether I was right or not, it obviously was not something I could blatantly ignore.

Now my hesitations had just reached its boiling point, burning me with a higher degree than that cup of chocolate just a while ago.