2.1 | The Better Half and Half ✓

NINE>> Bad Start Has An Ugly End

CHAPTER NINE | Bad start has an ugly end| PARK JIMIN

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"Like seriously? You think I have no other business just because it's nighttime?" I exasperated, looking at the tired lot walking past like sloths, eyes smarted with the intake of kegs of alcohol; my hands reached out to touch the heavens. "Hell, am I here to drive you home?" I mumbled out, an undercurrent of hearing a yes alerted me to look out for the closest exit doors. I stuffed my hands into the pockets of my jeans.

"Absolutely not, jagiya (I winced at the expression ''darling''), would you like to go with a shot of vodka?" he cocked his chin and directed me to sit on the empty barstool next to him. "Join me."

Cheeky idiot.

I batted my eyelashes and mentally accepted the fact that he was not sober. No matter how sensible he tried to make himself appear, I had already taken cognizance of his woozy state.

"Jimin? I thought you called me because you needed some practice for tomorrow," I reasoned, sitting on the barstool as I crossed my one leg over another. I didn't want to hurt his feelings with the least hint that I didn't like to drink while my boyfriend was left alone to count the stars in the sky. "That's what you said on the call."

He chuckled and tapped his shoe on the ring raised above the bottom of the barstool, the neon yellow eyelet gave home to silver shoelaces. His one hand clutched to his waist. The meat surroundings of his eyes enshrined his irises as he maintained his mile-wide smile.

He rotated himself to let the patrons see his back. Next, he pushed the pint glass toward me; the liquid enticing me to take it down my throat without allowing seconds to turn into minutes. "Why did you call me then?" Again, I had had to know the reason. I narrowed my eyes at him as the piercing lights inclined to his head went straight into my eyes.

"I want to know you better. What do you do? Are you are a college student? You are not from here, isn't it?" he asked slurping his drink, and grinned. I ignored this grin as a matter of principle.

"I've spent half of my life in California. And it's my last year in school," I replied casually, resting my hands on the cold, silver counter that reflected my face akin to a double-chinned, 45-year-old disappointed lady. I firmly believed that the word 'school' would spoil his mood and that would permit me a clearance to go and attend to Taehyung. Away from that untouched drink as well.

"Honestly, you look a bit too old for school. I thought it was your second year in college or something."

His eyes didn't meet mine and I regretted that he missed the tumultuous reaction on my face. "Like what made think so? Please explain."

"You look quite experienced and bold for a normal school-going girl. Your confidence is on a different level. Here, in Korea, anyone can mistake you for a college student." He pressed his lips together and shrugged his shoulder.

Okay I'll let him take that.

I sighed as I realized that he was of the same mind as those girls in my school who thought I was too advanced for being in school. Yes, because I failed in my ninth grade twice. The subject of mathematics took the credit here. Being bashed with the thick books of math for the third time, I managed to learn algorithms somehow.