After (Jikook version)

Chapter 22

My breakfast with Seulgi and my mother is agonizingly slow. My mother continues to bring up my "wild night" and finds every opportunity to ask me if I am tired or hungover. Granted, my actions last night was very out of character, I don't really need to hear about it over and over. Has she always been this way? I know she just wants the best for me, but she seems to be worse now that I'm in college; or maybe being away from her for a week has given me a new found outlook on her.

"Where should we shop?" Seulgi asks and I shrug. I wish she had just come alone. I would love to spend time with her but not with my mom here. I need to have a talk with her about not telling my mother every detail of my life, especially the bad.

"Maybe we should go to the mall around the block. I'm not really familiar with the area yet," I tell them, cutting the last few bites of my French toast into pieces.

"Have you thought about where you want to work yet?" Seulgi asks.

"I'm not sure yet. A bookstore maybe? I wish I could find an internship or something related to publishing or writing," I tell them and my mother flashes her award-winning proud smile.

"That would be great, somewhere you could work until you graduate and go right into full time,"she says, smiling again.

"That would be ideal," I try to hide my sarcasm. Seulgi grabs my hand under the table and gives it a little squeeze. As I put my fork into my mouth, the metal reminds me of Jungkook's lip ring.I need to stop thinking about him.Now. I smile at Seulgi and pull her hand up to kiss it.

After breakfast my mother drives us to the the mall, the Vancouver Mall is huge and crowded. "I am going to go into Nordstrom,I will meet you guys after. I'll call you when I am ready," my mother tells us, to my relief. I take Seulgi's hand in mine again and we browse through a bunch of stores. She tells me about her soccer game on Friday, and how she shot the winning goal. I listen intently and offer her a few comments and praise. We have always loved soccer and played it since we were little, but I didn't believe I was good enough to try out for the college level.

" You look nice today," I tell her and she smiles. Her perfect white smile is adorable. She is wearing a maroon cardigan, white blouse, and a black knee lenght skirt. She really does wear cardigans and skirts, but they are cute and somehow fit her personality.

"You do too, Jimin," Even though I know I look like hell, but she is too nice to tell me that.If Jungkook was here, he wouldn't hesitate to say it. Ugh, Jungkook. Desperately wanting to get my mind of him, I pull Seulgi by her cardigan closer to me. I want to kiss her, but she smiles and pulls away.

"What are you doing, Jimin?Everyone will stare at us." She laughs.

"So?" I really don't care. I usually would, but I need her to kiss me. " Kiss me, please," I practically beg.She must see my desperation because she tilts my chin up and kisses me. Her kiss is slow with no urgency behind it. Our tongues barely touche but it's warm and familiar. I wait for the fire to ignite, but it doesn't. I can't compare Seulgi to Jungkook. Seulgi is my girlfriend, who I love,and Jungkook is some guy who hooks up with different girls every weekend and who I kissed by mistake when I was drunk.

"What's gotten into you?" Seulgi asks as I try to pull her body into mine.

"Nothing, I just missed you,"I tell her and pull away. 'Oh . . . and I cheated on you last night' my subconscious adds in." Seulgi, could you please stop telling my mother everything I do? It makes me really uncomfortable. I love that you are close to her but I feel like a child when you basically tell on me every time I do something." It feels good to get that off my chest.

" I am sorry Jimin. I was just worried about you. I promise I won't do it again. Honestly." She says and I can tell she means it. I wrap my arm around her and kiss her forehead.

The rest of the day is better than the morning. After we leave the mall my mom takes me to a salon and I get my hair trimmed.It still swoops to the but it's not in my eyes anymore. I say goodbye to them at the front door, once again promising to stay away from anyone with a tattoo and within a hundred-mile radius. When I walk into my dorm room, I feel a tinge of disappointment to find my dorm room empty, but I'm not sure if I was hoping to see Hoseok or someone else. I don't even bother to take my shoes off before I lay in my bed. I'm too exhausted and in need of sleep.

I sleep the entire day and when I wake up, Hoseok's asleep in his bed. I go study for the rest of Sunday, and when I return he's gone.Monday morning he's still not back,and I start feeling a strong urge to catch up on what he was doing all weekend.

Before heading to my first class, I stop to grab my usual at the coffee house,where Seokjin is waiting for me with a smile. After our hellos, we're interrupted by a girl asking for directions, and so we don't get the chance to catch up until we're walking to our last class of the day. The class that all day I have been dreading, but anticipating.

"How was your weekend?" He asks and I groan.

"Terrible, actually. I went to another party with Hoseok," I tell him and he makes a sour face and laughs. "I'm sure yours was much better. How is Irene ?"

His smile grows at the mention of her name and I realize that I didn't mention seeing Seulgi yesterday.Seokjin tells me about Irene applying to a ballet company in New York and how happy he is for her. I wonder if my eyes light up like that when I talk about Seulgi like Jin's do as he talks about his girlfriend..As we walk into class, he's telling me how his father and stepmother were thrilled to see him and how he did miss his mom when he was gone. His mother must live close to here

"Won't it be hard if Irene is gone so far away?" I manage to ask as we take our seats. Jungkook's usual seat is empty.

"Well, we are already far from each other now, but it works. Besides, I really just want the best for her, and if New York is it, that's where I want her to be." He says as professor walks in, silencing us. Where's Jungkook? He wouldn't skip class just to avoid me, would he?We dive into Pride and Prejudice and before I realize it the class is over.

"You've cut your hair, Jimin ssi." I turn around to see Jungkook smiling behind me. He and Jin Exchange awkward stares and I try to think of what to say to Jungkook. He wouldn't mention the kiss in front of Seokjin, would he? Yes, yes he would.

"Hey, Jungkook," I say and he smiles, his dimples deeper than ever.

"How was your weekend?" His expression is so smug.I pull Jin by the arm.

"Good.Well, see you around!" I yell nervously and Jungkook laughs.

"What was that about?" Jin asks, obviously catching on to my strange behavior.

"Nothing, I just don't like Jungkook."

"At least you don't have to see him often." There is something behind his voice.Does he know about the kiss?

"Um . . . yeah. Thank God,"

"I wasn't going to say anything, because I don't want you to associate me with him, but Jungkook's dad is sort of dating my mom." He smiles nervously. What?

"What?" Jungkook's dad lives here? Why is Jungkook here?I thought he was British? If his dad lives here, why doesn't he live with him?" I flood Jin with questions before I can stop myself. He looks confused,but less nervous than a moment ago.

"He's from Korea, his dad and my mom live close to the campus, but Jungkook and his dad don't have a good relationship. So please don't mention any of this to him. We already don't like each other." A thousand more questions come to my mind, but I stay quiet as my friend goes back to talking about Irene, his eyes brightening with each word about her.

Thank you for reading!