Fake Love; NamKook

ChApTeR fOuR

Namjoon

     Okay, so maybe Jisoo isn't so bad. Maybe I was wrong to write this off immediately. I mean, Jin does know me well and he actually picked a great girl for my first date.
Jisoo is beautiful. Her long dark wavy hair flows just to the center of her back and the little white and pink dress she chose is both alluring yet modest. She doesn't look or act like most girls around me usually do. All teasing and flirtation.
No, she's very sweet and kind. And smart. Very fucking smart. She can actually keep up with my conversations and never seems to get bored.
"I really had a good time." She says as we walk out of the restaurant we've been eating in for the last three hours. Yeah, she seriously listened to me talk for two hours straight almost. What girl does that?
"Me, too." Hesitating, I reach out and push her bangs back from her face. "Lets do this again sometime?"
Her eyes sparkle. "I'd like that. How about next weekend?"
"That sounds—" My words stop short when I see a familiar figure walking out of the same restaurant. My smile turns into a frown. When the hell did Jungkook get here? Was he there the whole time?
He adjusts his coat right outside the door before scanning the street for—I'm guessing—his car. His eyes stop on us, however. Just noticing us apparently. He smiles a mischievous smile and walks our direction.
"Jisoo, how is that new vaccine coming along?"
She blushes and actually steps away from me. What the hell. "Oh, great! Jin and I are almost finished with the final results."
I scowl. Wow. She's giving him the same look all those girls have always given Jeon Jungkook. Maybe I was wrong about her. Maybe she just wants to be friends with me. She certainly hasn't looked at me like that all night.
He smirks, steering glances my way. I cross my arms, annoyed. Seriously? The first girl I've ever been interested in and he's going to just come and ruin that? I never though he'd become this type of person. Not after everything—enough. You know he's changed. He doesn't care.
"Jisoo, do you want me to take you home?" I ask, trying to regain her attention.
She seems to snap out of her 'Jungkook haze' and has the audacity to give me a guilty look. "Yeah, sure. See you later, Mr. Jeon." She says shyly, bowing.
I nearly scoff. How often do they even seen each other?
Jungkook glances between us. "Actually, could I steal your date, honey? I have some business to discuss with Namjoon."
    Oh how I loathe him.
She looks between us, sensing the tension. "O-oh, Of course. I'll see you later, Namjoon." Waving, she begins walking down the street to the bus station.
"What the hell was that?! What's so important you had to ruin my date? Business could have waited until tomorrow morning." I spit out.
He shrugs nonchalantly, clearly enjoying himself. I just can't understand why he's being like this. Why he keeps interfering in my life. He's the one that told me to get out of his. So what now?
"I have a proposition for you." He says after a long moment.
"No dice."
Giving me a curt look, he nods towards a sleek black car that pulls up in front of him. "Come. Let's talk business, Joonie."
"Don't call me that!" I snap, reluctantly getting into the backseat with him. He is my boss, after all, and until I decide if I want another job or not I have to not get fired.
He settles himself across from me, opening a bottle of champagne. I decline when he offers me some. He sips from his glass like some fancy ass rich—oh, I guess he is.
"So what business do you want to discuss? I've given my project plans to Hoseok already. He has all the information. You don't need me."
He watches me over his glass. His dark eyes staring into my very soul. I look away, uncomfortable. God, I used to know this man inside and out. I trusted him with my life, with my secrets, with everything, and he betrayed me. Abandoned me. Belittled me. He left me.
"Where are we going?"
"My house."
Memories of the one and only time I went to his house play through my mind and I tense up. "No thanks. You obviously have nothing of importance to say so let me out. I'll walk home from here."
His lips twitch. "Calm down. I truly have a business proposition for you but all my paperwork is at home."
"Why is it at home and not your office?" I retort. Annoyed and just wanting out of his presence.
"This business is more of a...personal matter."
I look at him in disbelief. "I don't want anything to do with your personal matters. Pull over and let me out right now, Jeon."
He tilts his head, something flashing in his eyes but it's gone too quickly for me to catch it. "Jeon." He tests the word out in his tongue. "Why don't you call me Jungkook?"
"Are you serious?" What is wrong with him?! "Do you even remember what happened four years ago? You ditched me, remember? You hit me and shoved me quite literally out of your life for no reason! Why are you trying so hard to get me back in it now?" I demand. "I'm not going to play your stupid games, Jungkook. You know me better than that."
"You used to love mind games."
"Not like this." I open my mouth to almost reveal how much it hurt when he abandoned me but I refuse to give him the satisfaction. "Just let it go. Just tell me straight what you want from me. I'm done with this little conversation down memory lane. I've moved on, you've moved on. We aren't the same kids we were. We grew apart. You didn't need me then and you don't need me now. Just get someone else to help you with your 'business'." I sigh. I'm tired. Just tired. I'm just...done.
He doesn't say anything. Just looks out the window as we drive farther from the city to his estate.
"I'm sorry." He suddenly blurts out as we pull into the driveway. "For what I said back then. You weren't a loser. I just had my reasons."
My hands clench into fists over my knees. I refuse to react. "Drop it. The past is the past, Jungkook. I don't care anymore."
"You are obviously still upset over it." He notes.
I roll my eyes. "I just hate being around you, okay? We've both changed. I have nothing to say to you. Let's just stay strangers, okay."
"That's not going to work for me, actually."
"What the hell is that supposed to mean? I don't get a choice?"
The car pulls to a stop in front of his house. He climbs out and holds the door open for me. I hate it. It reminds me of when he used to do nice things for me all the time like carry my book bags.
I take a deep breath and count back from ten. Forcing myself to get out and follow him inside. I'm really not surprised he has an at home office. With how many rooms this place has, it's really a given.
Once inside, he closes the door and sits down, resting his chin on his hands, watching me.
I stare back, taking a seat across from him. Without his signature smirk he looks just like my old best friend. The person I trusted most in the world but it was all fake. Just an act.
"I'm here. Tell me what you want so I can go home. I'm tired."
"As I said—I have a proposition for you." He says.
"What kind of proposition exactly?"
     "I need a pretend boyfriend and you owe me a favor."
     My mouth drops open in shock. "How the hell do I owe you any favors?! And why the hell do you need a fake boyfriend?!"
     "It's complicated but I need one on short notice."
     "You could just get anyone. Pay anyone. Why would you ask me out of everyone else? This makes no sense." I'm shaken and uncomfortable. Pissed off. Am I a joke to him?
     "I could. I could go out and find a boyfriend or pay someone but the truth is...there is no one else I could trust with this little job."
     "Why would you trust me? I don't even like you."
     "You think I like you? It's not about feelings. This is about business."
     "This is stupid and how the hell does you having a fake boyfriend connect with business?"
     He sighs, pressing his fingers against the bridge of his nose. "I have my reasons. You don't need to know anything except I'll make it worth your while."
     "How so?"
     "My proposition, remember? I have things to offer you. Things you want." He smiles.
     I hesitate, taking the bait. "What could you give me that I could possibly want from you?"
     "I know you, Namjoon. I know your ambitions and your dreams. I'll give you whatever you want."
      I look down, thinking about what I really want. I meet his gaze once more. "If I did this...I want to know why you did what you did. To me. To us."
     I'm watching him closely so I notice the ripple in his expression that he tries to hide. Regret. "Fine."
     I sigh, shaking my head. "I can't do this. I can't be your pretend boyfriend, Jungkook."
     "Sure you can. It's easy. Can't you just fake love? It's not like you know what real love even feels like."
Annnd he's back with the insults.
Asshole.