Mine

Chapter 11

..o0O0o..

Song Recommendation: Alibi by Sevdaliza, Pabllo Vittar & Yseult

Just like countless times before, Jimin pushed open the café door, the soft ding of the bell cutting through the cozy hum of conversation. His hood was pulled low over his head, shadowing the mischievous gleam in his eyes as they instinctively locked onto the serving counter. There she was—the familiar stranger who had become an inexplicable pull in his daily routine.

He told himself it wasn't love at first sight—those clichés made him scoff—but there was something about her that kept drawing him back. Was it the drinks? Maybe. But more than that, it was the way her expression soured the second she noticed him. The way her shoulders stiffened and her lips pressed into a hard line as if his presence alone ruined her entire day.

This is not how women reacted to him they swooned over his beauty, falling over themselves to win his attention, but not her. No, she made a face like he'd handed her something rotten every time he walked through those doors, and somehow, he found it utterly addicting. Jimin couldn't quite put his finger on it—maybe it was the challenge, or maybe it was the kind of attention only she could give. Either way, he wasn't planning to stop coming back anytime soon.

It made him feel all giddy inside to push her buttons, and he made sure to do it every time, damn the way she aggressively bit her lip holding herself back from cussing out just made his stomach tingle, almost with so much unholy thoughts altogether.

Jimin couldn't suppress the amused smirk tugging at the corners of his lips. Her reaction, so different from what he was used to, intrigued him more than he cared to admit. The fact that she refused to bow down to his presence—didn't flutter, didn't flatter—only made her more of that burn of alcohol he found himself craving to taste.

And so, here he was again, standing at the counter, poor Jungkook unwillingly dragged along for the ride. Jimin had waved him off with a casual "Go find us a table," but Jungkook wasn't fooled. He knew exactly why they were here, his sharp eyes flicking between the counter girl and his friend as he perched at a table nearby. His lips pressed into a flat line as if he had something to say but chose instead to observe. Jimin was too focused on her, though, already lost in whatever it was about her that kept pulling him back.

Jimin leaned back against the counter, arms crossed, his lips twitching into a scowl as he watched her attend to the elderly customer before him. "Here you go, ma'am. Enjoy your drink, and enjoy the cookies, they are new on the menu!" she said, adding two cookies alongside it. Her smile was genuine, radiant even, as she looked at the woman.

Jimin's brow furrowed. "Well, what do you know? She can smile" he mused, sarcasm biting at his thoughts.

"Such a lovely young lady," the old woman said with a kind smile, resting her hand softly over Maria's. "Thank you, dear. You're so thoughtful."

The blond head couldn't hold back a scoff, his sharp exhale loud enough to make the barista glance at him briefly.

"Seriously? For her, it's sunshine and rainbows. For me? A hurricane on a bad day," Jimin muttered under his breath, shaking his head. "Maybe I should bring a wig and glasses next time. Apparently, that's what it takes to get her to smile."

"Can I place an order too?" Jimin drawled, his voice dripping with casual charm as a smirk tugged at his plump lips. He pushed back his hood, revealing the sharp lines of his face. His earrings swung lightly, catching the light as they brushed his sculpted jawline. His hair was swept back, revealing his flawless forehead—a look that could send most girls into cardiac arrest.