MUST HAVE BEEN THE WIND | JIKOOK ✔

CHP 9

During the ride back to Jeongguk's house, Jimin tries to keep silent. He doesn't feel like explaining himself, nevermind the incident in the teacher's lounge.

But he can tell that the policeman is looking at him with prying eyes any chance that he can get. And he knows that no matter how long he tries to ignore it, Jeongguk isn't going to quit until he decides to toughen up and say something.

And so he does.

"Stop staring at me, please."

"You shouldn't have walked alone this morning. You should have waited. For all you know he could have been following you all the way to school. You have to be smart," Jeongguk tells him bluntly with a neutral expression as he looks ahead.

Jimin bites down on the insides of his cheeks, displaying a rather petulant expression as he looks out the window, frustrated. He knows what he did was stupid.

But early mornings are the worst for him when he sees Jeongguk and So-Young cozy in the kitchen. It's just a painful reminder of something he'll never have with the person he'll never have. It's brutal in every way imaginable to the point that he can't look into Jeongguk's eyes without almost crying.

Torture, is what it is.

"So-Young told me she's going out tonight with a couple of friends and won't be back till later in the afternoon tomorrow which means I'll be cooking. I know you haven't told her anything and I've kept your secret safe for you. That means you won't have to worry about her knowing when you explain yourself once we get to my place," the policeman states as if he has the whole thing mapped out in his head and Jimin finally spares him a pointed, vexed look.

"And what if I changed my mind? What if I just said that so you would leave me alone? You don't have to know every single thing that happens every single second of my life, Jeongguk. It's called privacy," Jimin retorts with a childish huff.

The car pulls up to a red light and Jeongguk takes this moment to turn to Jimin. "Out of all of the things you can call it, you decide to pick nosy? Jimin, your psychotic ex is stalking you and you can't even see that I care enough to wanna keep you safe? Why won't you look me in the eyes when I'm speaking to you? Why won't you just let me in? Why won't you-"

"You know why!" Jimin shouts, staring at Jeongguk with a trembling bottom lip and raised brows. "...You fucking know why, Jeongguk. So just... please. Give me a second," he begs with glossy eyes, turning his attention back to his lap.

Jeongguk appears rather stunned, staring at the upset man in his passenger seat. The policeman exhales deeply through his nose and averts his attention back to the road, driving as the light has turned green.

A deafening silence lingers in the air and neither Jimin nor Jeongguk are brave enough to break it; and at the moment, sitting impassively for the rest of the drive there seems to be the only thing either of them are capable of.

And as soon as Jeongguk pulls up into his driveway, Jimin is the first to jump out of the car and march straight into the house. He heads straight to the spare bedroom and climbs into bed, wrapping himself in his blankets. He doesn't care how juvenile he's being. He wants Officer Jeon to know that he's frustrated.

Shortly the front door closes and Jimin hears the man shuffling about, kicking his shoes off and placing his keys on the counter. He sits still and awaits their impending argument because he knows for sure that that wasn't the end of their conversation. Hell, it's like it never ends.

And just as he thinks, the man approaches his spare bedroom, leaning against the doorframe. His lips are in a straight line but rather than sporting an indifferent expression, his soft yet somehow sharp features are coated with a tame layer of resentment as he stares at the human burrito on the bed.