JUNGKOOK
Days on trial: 20
"It was fucking mortifying," I sighed, raking my fingers through my hair.
Jimin had been grilling me all evening over what had happened last week, having realised that his Chloe was also Annie's Chloe.
She'd vented to Chloe, who in turn had vented to Jimin, who hadn't exactly 'vented' to me - more like berated... In a loving, brotherly, 'what-the-fuck-are-you-doing' kind of way.
"Tiff needs to wind her neck in," He spoke decidedly. "You can't go around treating people like that, no matter what she suspects might have been going on."
"It's doing my nut in," I finally conceded. She'd always been paranoid, but it was getting unbearable now. I couldn't even go to the bathroom without her breathing down my throat.
"I'm telling you," Jimin assured me. "It's projection. She's only like this because she's doing it herself."
"She doesn't have the time to cheat on me," I laughed. "She too busy making sure I don't cheat on her. It's just exhausting, man."
I'd been thinking about it all week, the way in which she had stormed in and grilled Annie. It was one thing for her to grill me behind closed doors, but to do it in front of other people? Who I respected? It was embarrassing.
I felt myself withdrawing from her, resentful of the position that she had put me in; a position that I didn't want to be in.
I didn't want to have to face Annie tomorrow, and have her look at me with pitiful eyes, like I knew she would, telling me that I didn't need to be sorry.
I didn't want to have to explain that Tiff was actually a lot of fun to be around once you got to know her.
I didn't want to have to feel awkward and timorous in the company of someone who had gone to a lot of effort trying to help me.
The feeling weighed down on me like a circus elephant on a ball; trivial, yet excruciatingly heavy. My shoulders were in a permanent slumped state, and I was almost positive that my sight had become even more Mono. Everything just felt a little darker.
Yet when I'd finally mustered up the courage to enter the coffee shop the next day, the weight lifted almost instantly.
Annie's hair was darker, yet still pale, half tied into a haphazard bun. She didn't notice me at first, but as soon as she did, a coy smile graced her lips.
It felt like she was trying to hide her own embarrassment, and suddenly, I didn't feel like I was carrying the weight alone.
"Hey," she nodded, as I awkwardly took my seat. She was wearing a pale grey jumper, not quite white, that hung off her left shoulder. A thin black strap, embellished with lace, broke up the pale grey tones of her skin. She looked comfortable - and I felt it. "Nice to meet you," she grinned, holding out her hand. "I'm Annie."
Cocking my head, I took her hand. It had been warmed by her coffee mug, and I was thankful, as my hand was clammy again. I made a mental note to ask the doctor about the side effects of the drug next week.
"Jungkook. Nice to meet you too," I grinned, curious to see where she was going with this.
"I'm a Mono," she declared with a curt nod. She almost looked proud. "You?"
"Mono-"
"Nope."
"No?" I questioned with a laugh.
"You're a Multi."
"Annie, we've been over thi-"
"You're a Multi."
"An-"
"Multi."
I sat back with a sigh, tongue running along the inside of my cheek. Her eyes were focused on mine, a fearless smile hovering on her lips, that only continued to curve upwards as she began to speak again.
"Positive affirmations. That's what we're working on today," she spoke defiantly, as if she'd spent the whole week thinking about it. I wouldn't have been surprised if she had. "We're gonna fake it till you make it."
She was most definitely a little mad.
But I couldn't help but want to indulge in her madness.
"Bold of you to assume that I haven't started seeing colour," I toyed with her, but she didn't falter.
"You're in all black, Kook. Your phone's still flicked to Mono," she nodded toward the electronic device that was sat in the centre of the table. "I'd say that's pretty damning evidence."
I put my hands up like I was waving a pair of white flags. "You got me."
"I know I do," she grinned. "And now we're gonna get you Multivision."
Her energy was encapsulating, disconnecting me from the less than colourful way I had been feeling earlier. It felt ironic, trying to unlock my vision for Tiff when she was the last thing I wanted to think about right now.
Annie hadn't mentioned her either, though I knew she was smart. She'd probably worked out the link from Chloe to Jimin too, and knew that whatever she had said had gotten back to me. It's not that she had said anything unjustified or rude, but it was still awkward.
Perhaps the most awkward part of it all was the fact that I didn't want to defend Tiff.
For that reason alone, I was glad that she hadn't mentioned it. What would that say about my relationship if that was how I felt? The whole entire thing was a mess.
"Say it again," Annie laughed as we were coming to end of our coffees. She had been making me say it repeatedly between our normal conversations, ever so gently coaxing me into talking about my entirely fraudulent vision status.
"My name is Jeon Jungkook, and I'm a Multi," I laughed, cringing at the foolishness of the entire afternoon.
"Woo!" She cheered, not caring who would hear her. "You're a Multi!"
"Congrats!" A friendly stranger called over from another table, causing the pair of us to laugh.
"Thanks!" I nodded, keeping up the false pretences.
The person who toasted me turned to face us, and I could see that they had lived a life full of laughter, thanks to the deep lines etched by their eyes. The shirt that they were wearing was tie-dye, and I knew that despite it just being shades of grey to me, that he must have looked like an explosion of colour to everyone else. "You want my advice?"
"Go for it," I smiled, eager to hear any advice from someone who radiated Multi energy.
"Keep her laughing like that," he nodded towards Annie, who still had a luminous radiance thanks to her smile. "And you'll never see grey again."
"Oh n-"
"Thanks," I cut off Annie, nodding towards the kind stranger. "Will do."
Annie's eyes widened, turning back to me with curiousity lacing her gaze. I should have corrected him, I know. But I just didn't want to. I was enjoying this too much.
I knew it was only going to end in trouble.
"Tiff will hate that."
She was scolding me, but there was a slight intrigue to her tone, her smile not entirely slipping from her lips.
"Tiff hates everything I do regardless, Annie," I shrugged, not caring all that much. "May as well have a little fun with it."
"Who are you, and what have you done with Jungkook?" Annie narrowed her eyes, jovially turning her head away from me slightly.
"Havent you heard?" I was playing now, cautiously teetering the line between friendly and flirtatious. "I'm Jeon Jungkook. And I'm a Multi."
It might have been a lie, but for the first time in a very long time, it felt like it could be a possibility.
With or without the drugs.
