somethin' stupid (i love you) / jinbyul 💜

chapter four / the old switcheroo - part 2

Author's Note: Published on February 5, 2020. Updates will be posted twice or thrice a month. Thank you so much for all the reads and votes so far, please keep looking forward to future chapters! This second half became really, really long after some edits. It almost spiraled out of my control because I didn't want to cut anything out of the story. Anyway, I just decided to cut it in half again BUT this time I'll upload one today and the other tomorrow since I really meant Chapters 4 and 5 to be only one part. Hopefully, it will suffice for a while. Without further ado, please enjoy 💜

P.S. Be a responsible driver, don't be the Kim Seokjin from this chapter 😆

*

"...And that's when I decided I was done."

"Ah."

"I'm done being part of BigHit."

"Mmhmm."

"I'm really glad you're the first one I told about this, Byul. You're being very supportive about my decision to quit being an idol so far."

Moonbyul nods absent-mindedly as she looks out the window, busying herself with studying the bustle of the city nightscape. She's successfully kept her eyes from wandering over to the driver's seat for the past twenty minutes, focusing solely on the road ahead as if she was the one driving. Just as she was beginning to think she'd be able to keep the charade up until they arrive, Jin's words finally get through to her and she turns to him sharply, face an expression of unadulterated surprise.

"What?!"

"Yeah, thanks for hearing me out." Jin nods slowly, his face blank and unreadable. "Can I trust you not to tell anyone else for now?"

Moonbyul keeps looking at him incredulously for a few more seconds, mouth opening and closing periodically like a fish. A beat later, the corner of Jin's mouth twitches into an uncontrollable half-smile. He eventually cracks up and Moonbyul watches as his eyes crinkle into delighted little crescents, slowly realizing that she's just been played for a fool.

"Gotcha." Jin says a little breathlessly from laughing.

"Shut up." Moonbyul flushes with embarrassment as she leans back into the passenger seat with crossed arms. As much as she wanted to hit Jin in retaliation, she couldn't do it now because he was driving.

"Knew you haven't been listening to me for a while now." Jin glances at her briefly with a smirk. "I asked you what you wanted to see for the midnight showing later, but all you said to me was yes."

He lowers the music until it becomes a soft hum in the background and glances at Moonbyul one more time before speaking.

"Something on your mind?"

Moonbyul bites her lip and tries to come up with something to say. She couldn't exactly tell Jin that he was on her mind, but she also couldn't lie outright to his face after she just indirectly admitted that she wasn't listening. She decides to give him a half-truth and tries her best to deliver it as nonchalantly as possible.

"Just a little distracted. Sorry." Moonbyul says, waving a hand around as if to say that it wasn't a pressing matter and it didn't concern him in any way.

"Can't tell me, huh?"

"Can't tell you what?"

Unfortunately for Moonbyul, they stop at a traffic light. Jin taps his fingers lightly on the steering wheel as he turns to face Moonbyul with a cheeky smile. She looks away immediately when she feels her face begin to redden with embarrassment and something she couldn't yet identify. Silently, she thanks the fact that it was already so dark out. While it certainly made the ride feel more intimate, it also made it harder for Jin to recognize just how easily Moonbyul panicked today at every little thing he did.