WHEN THE SUN SETS [JJK]

05

PART FIVE
OF RINKO & JEONGGUK'S STORY

Against the sandy boardwalk is a misfortune of events if you ever stumble upon it barefoot but in Rinko's case, maybe it's the air causing her to trip so heavily. Even damaged a couple of petals on the rose she bought on sale at the supermarket. As her skin brushes up against the pavement, she feels the blood trickling down the side of her leg so her first instinct is to run over to the Diner that is, thankfully, only a minute away, but at the speed of lightning, Taehyung stops her and even laughs at her pitiful state.

"Why are you rushing, my Rinnie?" He says, in between giggles but immediately retrieves a piece of cloth from the back pocket of his ripped jeans along with a small band-aid he takes out from his burgundy wallet.

"You're lucky I keep a band-aid in my wallet just in case something breaks." You're lucky you have Guk.

If Rinko was being honest, she still doesn't know where to bring Jeongguk. Scared that he won't enjoy, but Taehyung disagrees and would much rather let her pick a place worth the thrill as if brought to a roller coaster by force. But instead of being frightened, it may just turn out to be their most spontaneous first dates yet.

"Wouldn't he suspect anything if you're not working today?"

"Nah. He's been bugging me lately, told me to stop being such a workaholic and focus more on myself instead of providing for me and my little dead brother. Also, the birthday boy is oblivious as fuck so you can get away with literally anything."

"You're probably right," She says, but wonders if Taehyung's assumptions are really right. "don't you think this is a little—too much?"

Pointing at the white rose with a few empty spots regarding the missing petals from earlier on, Rinko raises a brow. Disregarding Taehyung's attempt to smile as if to say that everything will be okay so in return, the brunette even nods. Hopes that Taehyung isn't only lying to make her feel better.

"By the way, you really put in the effort to look decently. . .cute, huh?" Taehyung nudges forward and grabs the roses from her bare hands, stuffing them nicely into her old long champ backpack gifted to her by a childhood friend from ages ago. Rinko would blush ever so slightly at the rare compliment she received when she really tried to look 'cute' as Taehyung would call it, but she didn't. Not even a slight frame of joy came out of her lips as he says this. Funny how she took an hour in the shower, contemplating on how the shorts she'd wear wouldn't have the same effect if she didn't shave her non-existent leg hair, but was pissed at how much time it actually took to make her legs feel soft like how it usually is. Braided her hair the night before to have a more simple effect as this would be considered their first date and doesn't want Jeongguk to think she's all out to impress him when really, she is. But wants a subtle approach to first impressions because all he's ever got up his sleeve is the fact that he exists; he doesn't even have to try and Rinko already has herself all up in his line.

She grabs a strand of her wavy hair and straightens it out for a little more volume. In that case, the nervous girl contemplates whether or not she should've worn coloured contacts because she hates her dark brown ones that are almost black in the normal light but the lightest brown in day light. "Don't you think I look better in coloured contacts? I do, right?"

"You look the prettiest in your brown ones and if you could see how much it shines the lightest of brown in the sun, you would never wish to cover them with other hues of colours. Jeongguk likes a simple girl."