Enhanced || JJK

X. Addicted

It had always been like that, ever since that infamous day in first grade, ever since he started annoying me.
And as time passed, I slowly started to get used to it, I started waiting for him to bother me, to say something to annoy me. As much as I tried to convince myself that I didn't want his attention, I did. And some part of me still does.

Luckily enough, my phone started vibrating, so it took all those thoughts away. I put my earphones on and opened the call.
"Hello?"
"You're off work, Lulu?"
"Oh Tae, hi... yeah, I just got off..." I answered once I realized it was my best friend's voice.
"Since you said not to come and pick you up and make a scene ever again, I didn't... But still, I want to know how it's going... And no, I'm not talking about the internship! You know what I'm talking about... or better, who I'm talking about!"

After the last episode, I specifically told him not to come and pick me up ever again, because he tends to exaggerate at times. I mean, I love also that side of him, but the situation was already complicated to begin with, so I didn't want to add fuel to the fire.
"Well, I kinda just solved the mess you did the other day..."
"What do you mean by mess? I was trying to protect you from your lifelong bully!" He asked shocked.
"Well, basically he stopped talking to me after you faced him, which wouldn't have been a problem if he didn't do that also at the Lab... 'Cause we're supposed to work together, you know! So I faced him today and he basically said he thought you were my boyfriend and that's why he stayed away from me..."
"Wait wait, slow down..."

In the meantime, I had arrived home. I opened the door and went straight to my room, feeling the sudden need to lay down.
"Rewind the tape!" He said, still confused.
"So, I still don't get why people think we're together..." He continued. "Like, can't I be caring and protective of my best friend or what? Anyway, my point is, even if he thought that, why did he stop talking to you? Is he scared of me or something?" He asked, trying to understand the situation better, even though I was still not understanding it really well either.
"Well, he said that if I was his girlf- wait no, not that... so, he said, if his girlfriend had- no that's not it either... You know what? I'm confused as well and I freaking hate it!" I said frustrated, punching my pillow.

"Oh no... please tell me it's not what I think it is..." Even if I could only hear his voice, I could imagine him face-palming.
"Yeah, I know what it sounds like, but I swear I won't... I won't fall into it..." I said, feeling like I had been found guilty in a trial.
"Don't tell me this has been going on since forever and I never knew..."
He sounded really serious and I knew why. He doesn't like it when I'm not honest with him, because he feels like I don't trust him. But that was not the problem, the problem was that I felt like what I was feeling for Jungkook was wrong, which probably is, and so I couldn't bring myself to tell him the truth.
"No, I just... I don't know since when and I don't even know what this is... It's weird... I just hoped that with time it would have disappeared, but I keep finding him everywhere, so it's not making it any easier!"
"Okay okay, I get it... I'm not mad... I understand... But by how you're describing it, it feels like it's just because he's always around you that you can't get rid of what you feel... which, by the way, we don't even know what it is... 'Cause, you know, it could be just despise... I once read that hate and love trigger similar chemical reactions in the body, so it may b-"
"Tae! Stop digressing! What am I supposed to do? It's not like I can stay away from him now... Plus, I've already done that for the past three years and I thought it was over and look at me now... back to square one!"

"Okay okay... Calm down... Well, if you had told me about it sooner... Nevermind... So, now you can't really get away from him... Then... try to test the opposite!" He exclaimed excited.
"What?" I asked, not understanding what he was talking about.
"Well, just so you know, I hate this idea, but if it's the only way..."
"Can you articulate? Thanks!" I urged him.
"You should try to spend more time with him..."
"What?! How is this gonna help?" I was so confused.
"Okay, so, if you spend more time with him and get to know him better, you'll finally figure out that he's an asshole and you'll lose feelings for him for good! It's a nice plan, don't you think?" He sounded so confident in his idea.
"Well, to be honest, no, I don't... There are a few issues with this plan, like for example the fact that it's gonna look suspicious if I suddenly try to get closer to him!" I pointed out.
"Just make something up, like an excuse to see each other after working hours... It shouldn't be difficult!"
"Easier said than done! I mean, why am I even considering it as an option?"
"'Cause you know it's a good plan!"
He wanted me to admit it, but I wasn't so sure he was right. However, it was probably the only option left, I had to admit that. Unless I wanted to remain stuck with this addiction for the rest of my life and never have a boyfriend.

"I'll think about it, Tae... I'll see you tomorrow..."
"Okay, sleep on it... Bye!"
And I hung up.
That night, the more I thought about it the more Tae's idea sounded crazy but at the same time made sense. For some reason, some idyllic version of Jungkook was carved inside my subconscious and the only way to get rid of it was to know the real Jungkook from up close and finally give up on this fantasy, or better addiction.
I just had to find a way to make my sudden change of behaviour look less obvious and more natural. I needed excuses, good ones. So as I was falling asleep that night, I hoped that ideas would have come flooding in the next morning and in some way they did, not in the way I expected them to.