Accidentally Assisting

Chapter 25 - Have a shot, Rose

The next evening while waiting for the others to leave for the airport, I call Eun to report to her about Jungkook's behavior lately. Never have I ever been so confused. Just when I thought I had him figured out, this man surprises me yet again.

Eun silently listens to my stories about Jungkook holding my hand, consistently teasing me, getting jealous over the waiter, and (un)willingly creating sexual tension with me.

"So, what do you think?", I ask her once I'm done.

My best friend at the other end of the line sighs. "I think that if I was you, I'd constantly have the biggest migraine of the century, really. This man is so complicated. How do you survive working for him?"

"That's a question I ask myself every day," I retort. "Especially since he's so freaking bipolar."

Said man appears at the other end of the corridor right at this moment. At the sight of him, the heat immediately creeps up my cheeks. I'm still flustered because of what happened yesterday, which means I've been unsuccessfully trying to avoid him all day. Kind of hard to avoid someone you work for.

"You know what I took from what you've told me?" Eun reflects. "It sounds like he's having a battle with himself."

I frown at this, watching the man who slowly approaches me, now being joined one of the managers, Sejin. "What do you mean?"

"When it's just the two of you or when the moment is more serious, he's sweet and caring towards for you, while the rest of the time, he's sarcastic, teasing and even kind of mean. It sounds like he's trying to convince himself he doesn't like you, or care about you."

"Like me?" My body starts to feel all fuzzy at this thought. "You think there's a chance Jungkook could actually..."

No, that's impossible. Someone who could have all the women in the world would never even look at me that day. I'm just plain, old, Rose.

"Well, maybe. And he's trying to overplay that by always acting all smug and sarcastic towards you. Since the two of you together is impossible and forbidden. Just a little reminder, Rose. It'd to both of you very well not to forget it."

"It's not working very well," I mutter. The two men have almost reached me, I'm going to have to hang up.

"Listen, Rose, don't read too much into it, okay? Maybe I misunderstood his actions. This man is an unsolvable mystery after all."

"Rosieee!" Jungkook reaches us, in a weird good mood, while my heart automatically starts beating faster now that he's standing this close to me.

Shit. My body needs to stop reacting this strongly to his. Eun's right. Jungkook and I are impossible and forbidden. Not to mention I would be delusional for believing Jungkook could actually be interested in somebody like me.

Again, it's not like I think of myself as unworthy of love in general. Just unworthy of Jungkook's love.

"Hey, boss," I greet him so that Eun quickly understands who I'm talking to and drops our previous conversation topic. "Just one minute, I'm on the phone with Eun."

"Eun, hmm?" Jungkook says joyfully. "Tell her hello from me."

Right. I forgot that the two of them are kind of friends now. After my make-up talk with Eun before the tour, she texted to him to wish him good luck, and ever since them, they've kept sending each other platonic words of encouragement. While I certainly do prefer this over them constantly fighting, it's still weird. It's like seeing your divorced parents make up.

I make a disgusted face at their newfound friendship, making Jungkook laugh. After hanging up, I look at manager Sejin, who's been observing me silently until now. "Sorry about that. Are we ready to leave?"