Opposites Repel - Liskook

Chapter 23 ~ A Chat at the Park

Jungkook's POV ~

"I don't really care." I shrug truthfully, "We can go wherever you want-" We'd started to walk, but the sight in front of me made my jaw drop.

It was them. All 6 of them had stupid, teasing grins on their faces.

They'd seen what'd happened in the car.

I trudge to the group that wouldn't stop sending me a glance somewhere between teasing and appraising, patting my back proudly regardless.

"So close." Jin smiles, slinging his arm lazily around my shoulder.

"Shut up," I mutter, my eyes stuck on the gray cement of the parking garage.

"What a day to celebrate," He presses further, sighing as the bright blue sky spills into view. "You almost kissed her, didn't you ?"

"Yeah, way to rub it in." I scowl, stomping on his foot when I get the chance. He slips his toes out calmly from underneath my shoe and kicking my shin.

"You're no fun." He shrugs, choosing to abandon me and run to the others, leaving me and her alone.

"He's right, you know ?" She huffs.

"How much did you hear ?!" My eyes pop out of my skull, my mouth agape.

"I only heard the bit where he said we should celebrate." She says. "I think he's right."

My breathing gets less erratic as she continues to shuffle her feet against the pavement, blindly kicking against it.

"You okay ?" I ask.

"Yeah...I'm fine." She smiles, the grin disappearing when she looks back at her feet. My gaze drifts from her to the others who walk blindly forward, heading back to the dorms.

"They'll be fine," I mutter, walking in the opposite direction. She doesn't seem to notice, her thinking strictly moderated upon following wherever I went.

Eventually, I manage to lead her all the way to the park before she notices. Only when her foot crunches against the fresh grass do she stop in her tracks.

"Where are the others ?"

"Back at the dorms." I shrug, walking further until she waddles to catch up to me; It was really hard to not gush right then and there.

"Then why aren't we there with them ?"

"You didn't even notice, did you? There's definitely something on your mind." I tut, grabbing her hand and putting it in my pocket. "It's okay. I'm not going to ask you to spill all your secrets."

"Is there something you did want to ask me ?" She prods.

"Are you okay ?"

"Yeah...I just feel a bit down." She snaps her gaze away from me, though I can't pretend I didn't see her eyes linger for a second longer on our conjoined hands in my pocket.

"You could just say so if you feel uncomfortable," I say, my heart dropping inside of me. Though our hands merely touch in the enclosed cloth, I don't hold her hand out of the raw fear churning in every sliver in the body.

Her hand squirms and twists finally fixed on grasping my hand back. "No. That's not it." She smiles shyly.

It was a new side of her, to say the least. Her smile was no longer teasing and cocky, but rather pure and innocent through the jokes that escaped her lips often weren't. She turns back to look ahead, yet I don't.

Her hair covers her small ears, protecting them from the harsh truths of the world, her eyelashes shaped long and bold. Her brown locks had slight curls to them at the ends, remaining smooth and silky all the way to the crown of her head.

"I just feel a bit guilty." She sighs.

"Why ?"

"I shouldn't have been so harsh on you." She nods truthfully, looking at me apologetically. "When you agreed to let me train you."

"It didn't help that I was a jerk. I don't think you should've done anything differently."

"You're a nice guy. A really really nice guy." She says, an unreadable tiny grin on her face.

"You too," I say.

"I'm a nice guy ?" She laughs, nudging my side with her elbow.

"Yeah sure, why not ?" I tease, knocking her head with mine.

"You know, when I called you hard-headed, I didn't think it was true in a literal sense." She smirks, her spare hand massaging the spot.

An elderly couple passes by, no devices on them yet they seemed so happy and in tune. The elderly man whispers something to his partner, making her laugh and blush spontaneously.

"I want something like that." I hear her say next to me.

"Hmm ?"

"I want someone to be with. For the rest of my life. I want someone to worry about and worry with...I want someone who I can think about when times get boring." She rants. "I want somebody to love too."

"Who says you can't have that ?" I ask defiantly.

"Me." She laughs. "I doubt anybody would like me enough to waste years upon years with me."

"I would."

"Y-you would ?"

"Yeah. You make the people around you happy. Who doesn't like being happy ?"

The same elderly couple approaches closer, their veiny hands clasped like ours were. "You guys look so cute together." The woman smiles kindly, her pearly white smile glowing underneath the sun.

"N-" She starts beside me, blushing profusely.

"Thank you." I grin, slipping my hand out of hers and sliding it around her shoulder instead. The woman nods, walking back to her husband while the girl next to me stares at me, her mouth ajar.

"What ?" I ask, my finger pushing against the bottom of her chin to close the gap.

"Why didn't you say we weren't a couple ?" She asks. Her tone wasn't demanding, just curious.

"Well then she'd feel embarrassed and guilty, and we'd be taking turns apologizing and bowing. It's trouble nobody has time for." I say.

"Oh..." She murmurs, looking a bit let down. Was she expecting me to say something else?

Why didn't I say we were just friends?

Because I liked it. I liked the idea of us being together.