BEHIND THE SCENES

chapter 10: candy-coated lies

<OST: Tell me about your day - Kwon Jin Ah>

"No, hyung!" Jungkook frowned as Seokjin drove him home in his car. "Anything but this... No."

"What do you mean no?" Seokjin frowned as he glanced at Jungkook through the rear-view mirror. "You were the one who said that she could ask for anything, as long as it didn't involve you apologising. She accepted it without any complaints, and now you're telling me... no?"

"That's because-" Jungkook clucked his tongue loudly, pounding his fist against the car door. "I never would have thought she'd ask for such a ridiculous request! I thought she'd ask for a refund, or a car, or something... How on earth did she even think of becoming a makeup artist at our company?"

"Not just a makeup artist at our company," Seokjin rubbed it in. "But your makeup artist, in particular, Jungkook-ah."

"Even worse, am I right?" Jungkook said agitatedly. "Like, what kind of request is that? It's just so suspicious, don't you think? Hyung, what do you think she's up to? Maybe she's up to something funny... There's no reason why she'd wanna come so close to me-"

"Come on!" Seokjin laughed, waving a hand and looking at Jungkook like he was being ridiculous. "I know how wary you are of people, but that's thinking way to deeply, Jungkook-ah."

Jungkook frowned as he folded his arms across his chest, thinking deeply. "Why else would she wanna become my makeup artist?"

"I asked her," Seokjin said quietly. "She said she always wanted to do makeup for idols but never had the chance to do so."

"But why of all people, my makeup artist?"

"I asked her about that too," Seokjin sighed. "She says that's because you're the one who owes her, so shouldn't you be the one fulfilling her request?"

"So she doesn't want to be a burden to other artists, and just wants to bother me instead?"

"I mean, if you wanna put it that way..." Seokjin let out yet another nervous laugh as he glanced at Jungkook once more through the rear-view mirror. "But to me, it sounded more like she wanted to bury the hatchet with you and start afresh on a clean state, while pursuing her interest in doing idol makeup at the same time."

"Bullshit..." Jungkook mumbled as he closed his eyes and leaned his forehead against the car window. "I still say no."

"Why are you so against it?" Seokjin asked with his eyebrows furrowed. "I mean, like, at least give it a day or two to think about it... I actually don't think it's too bad of an idea..."

"No, hyung."

"If you think about it, what's the worst that could happen?" Seokjin continued, not giving in until he persuaded Jungkook. "She already doesn't want our money, I doubt she's up to any no good as well... You already admitted that day that you know you're the one in the wrong, so shouldn't you be trying your best to fulfil her requests as much as you can?"

Jungkook was silent for a while.

Seokjin bit his lower lip nervously. "What are you so afraid of, Jungkook-ah?"

"I don't know her at all, hyung," Jungkook said quietly. "If even people I know well can backstab me, what more the people I don't know at all? That girl, you shouldn't be fooled by her appearance. She may look innocent, but you have no idea what's going on inside her mind, hyung. Don't forget that the most innocent-looking people can be some of the scariest."

"How would you know?" Seokjin clucked his tongue irritatedly, slowly running out of patience. "You shouldn't just assume that someone is up to no good if you haven't even given them a chance to work with you yet."