Not For Long

.06

Chaeyoung had come to Jungkook's workplace to have a brief meeting with his boss, Bang Sihyuk. He spotted her at the cafeteria, consuming a sandwich calmly as she switched her focus on her phone and the tablet on the table. Carefully, he slipped away from Yugyeom who had been talking nonstop about the new gadget available in stores and approached her.

Jungkook placed his food in front of her and took a seat almost immediately when she lifted to see who it was. He attempted a small smile, trying to cover the slight embarrassment he felt for singing her a desperate song the night before. When she hung up on him right after he sang to her through the phone, a thought came to him; he really needed to put down everything and act like before, perhaps an even better decision would be to act like how they first know each other.

Their eyes locked for a few seconds before she averted her attention somewhere else before it returned to the tablet.

"Are you free tonight?" he asked. "Hoseok made some reservation for Yoongi's blind date but they both cancelled so –"

"I have other plans," she responded, not even a glance thrown at him. "I'm...busy."

Jungkook's lips curled inward and tapped his fingers repeatedly on the surface of the table. Sometimes Chaeyoung would skip meals just to make sure her work would be perfect so that she could present it with a proud smile and that her client would be satisfied with wider smiles. Jungkook cleared his throat and began with a small grin, "Would you like me to cook for you tonight?"

Chaeyoung looked at him briefly, and again, with the surprised expression hanging on her face before she looked down on her tablet. "It's all right."

"I don't mind."

She took a deep breath. "I'm eating out with my friend tonight."

Jungkook furrowed his brows momentarily and gave a light nod. Right, she had been spending her time with Jennie and it would be better for her. Sometimes, to have the company of a best friend would be the best cure for any sadness.

He pushed forward his sandwich and she paused chewing to look at it. "Please have it," he said and turned around to leave her at it, not wanting to bother her further.

"Why are you doing this?"

He paused in his step and regarded what her question was. Of course she'd feel weird over this sudden change, the tension he so forcibly wanted to break from his side had been a successful attempt, he thought.

He looked over his shoulder and with such calmness wrapping around his voice, he replied, "I'm not giving up."

*

True to his words, Taehyung knocked on her door an hour earlier than the time he was supposed to pick her up. Chaeyoung had dressed herself up but her face remained bare and her hair hadn't been combed. Taehyung had a suit on and there was this feeling of pity running in her system as she stared at him from head to toe. He had dressed up for just a simple dinner with her.

It was definitely not uncommon to see him dressing up, but she should have told him to go for simplicity because whatever plan he had for that night, if it involved in trying to get her back into his life, he should have been told that it was not going to work. Chaeyoung was completely tired of this emotional play and perhaps, it was probably best to take a rest. She wouldn't fall for any sweet gestures and words from Taehyung anymore, and he would know that in a few hours.

"You can wait here. I'll be ready in a few minutes."

She didn't stop him when he refused to obey her order to wait in the living room as he strode behind her, following her into the bedroom. He took a seat on a couch where she could see his reflection on the mirror and she did her best to not make any eye contact with him that would only make his hope went up the roof.