Begin (JJK) BTS 2026 series Book 3 (COMPLETED)

Refreshed

Binna steps out of the shower, feeling calmer and more relaxed. The run was a great way to let her heart race for reasons other than nerves or fear. But she spent so much energy on getting here, she now has very little left. She wraps herself in the soft fluffy robe, letting it comfort her and she steps into the bedroom, towel drying her hair. Her clothing that she laid out on the bed is missing. She stops drying her hair and looks at the empty spot where she left everything. She looks at the door to the bedroom which remains closed. She steps up to the door, opening it and listening for sounds of life in the apartment. She hears nothing, but she knows Mrs. Park mentioned she should find her in the kitchen when she was done. She steps out of the room, pulling the robe closed tighter around her as she walks down the hallway toward the living room.

The space is empty, and she looks around, feeling a little awkward wearing only a robe. She hears something in the kitchen and she steps through the door to see a lovely plate of fruit, biscuits and a large pink smoothie at a place setting at the counter. Mrs. Park is just stepping out of another room when she enters and she smiles at her.

"There you are dear, your color looks better. Please sit and have something to give you your energy back." Binna smiles at her and steps up to look over the offering.

"Thank you for this, you did not need to go to this much trouble for me," she says as she takes a seat.

"It's no trouble, it's nice to do things for others, and you certainly looked like you might faint when you got here. Where did you run from?" Binna takes a strawberry from the plate and pops it into her mouth.

"I ran from my apartment in Hongdae." Mrs. Park's eyes bulge. Her mouth drops open.

"Why would you run all this way?!" She stares at her with shock and Binna blushes, embarrassed. She isn't sure how to answer for herself. She lowers her head.

"I need to speak to Jungkook ssi," is all she can offer. Mrs. Park narrows her gaze as she regards her. Her mind is filling with all of the reasons why Binna would be this desperate to see Jungkook and she smiles warmly at her.

"Drink up, the smoothie will refresh you. I don't know when he will be back, but you are welcome to stay and wait." She nods as she begins wiping down the counter near her. Binna chuckles.

"I think I have to," she says as she looks down over the robe she wears. Mrs. Park blushes.

"Oh yes, your clothing is in the washer. It shouldn't take more than an hour," she tells her. Binna bows her head in thanks.

"Thank you Mrs. Park. You are very kind to take such good care of me."

"It's what I do." She beams as she looks at her, thinking that it might be nice to take care of a woman in this house, not just a Batchelor. Binna continues to eat from her plate. "When you're finished, go sit by the windows in the living room, the view is very beautiful," she tells her as she turns to continue her cleaning routine.

After her meal, Binna follows Mrs. Park's advice and takes a seat in the livingroom on the long couch. She was right, she remembered that the view of the river and the buildings beyond is beautiful, and the trail of cars along the roadway is almost hypnotic. Binna wonders if she will have to wait much longer for her clothes to be done. She grabs a fashion magazine from the table near the couch and she kicks her feet up.  She begins to look through it, page after page, stretching her aching legs out across the couch and she lets her head rest on the cushion behind her. The colorful clothing interests her. She knows some of the members of BTS and Tomorrow x Together have modeled in these magazines, and she wonders if Jungkook ever has. He's handsome enough to model, and probably would sell copies of the magazine just because of who he is. She smiles a little to herself. The smoothie was very filling, and she feels comfortable and sated. It's not what she was expecting to feel. She should still be a nervous wreck. She barely slept last night, tossing and turning with worry about what is happening, and there is still the possibility that Jungkook is angry at her, if he knows what she did. She feels her eyelids begin to droop. Jungkook will be here, soon, maybe, and then she can get this cleared up and put this mess behind her. Her head feels so heavy and it begins to nod as she drifts off to sleep.

***

Jungkook comes back into his apartment after leaving Taehyung and Hana making their plans for the whirlwind wedding. It's all happening too soon, he's sure it's too soon to be thinking of marriage, they have only just met. You don't run off and marry someone you barely know. He sets his keys down on the table by the door and he hangs up his jacket. Of course, that's almost exactly what he said to try to discourage him the first day, and that didn't work. Taehyung seems to think there is a higher power of some sort that brought them to each other; whether that's some turn of fate, a supernatural being, or, his grandmother reaching out to guide him, he isn't sure. He doesn't have an answer but he feels a force drawing them together and he has accepted it as his future. Jungkook thinks over what that might feel like as he walks through his apartment. It's almost evening and the sun will set soon. The room is growing dark and he wonders if Mrs. Park is still here.

As he rounds the corner to his living room he stops, startled by a figure, a long, slender figure, laying across his couch. He walks closer, curious, and he sees shapely bare legs draped across the sofa, under a fluffy white robe, a robe he recognizes from his guest room. His mouth drops open as he steps closer and sees the magazine spread open across her chest, and he sees Binna, her dark lashes closed, sleeping peacefully. He stares at her in surprise, quietly listening to the sounds of her breathing deeply.

'What is she doing here, and why is she just wearing a robe?!' he  wonders. 'And what does she have on under this robe?' He peers down her legs, and bends down a little without realizing, almost as if trying to look farther up her thigh. Her eyes flutter open at that moment to see Jungkook looking her over. She nearly jumps, she sits up so quickly she has to pull the robe closed across herself. It makes him laugh to see her so startled. She's definitely turning red. He smiles at her.

"How are you Binna?" he asks. She looks up at him incredulous.

"Really? That's your first question?" she asks, deadpan. He laughs.

"Well, I do have more questions now that you mention it." He sits down next to her, too closely, intentionally making her nervous and forcing her to shift her body aside as she tries to lean as far away from him as she can while clutching the robe closed.

"I ran here. I wasn't feeling well, and Mrs. Park told me to take a shower. She took my clothes to wash," she explains quickly, trying not to look at him. Jungkook looks toward the kitchen door.

"Oh, is Mrs. Park still here?" he asks, politely moving a little away from her, trying not to embarrass her in front of Mrs. Park.

"I think so, I fell asleep. It's been a rough night, and day," she explains. He nods.

"Yes, for me too." She looks over at him, trying to judge his reaction. Does he know?

"The shoot was canceled," she looks down. He watches her, confused. "It's my fault, I came to explain," she says without looking at him.

"It's not Binna," he says, shaking his head. She looks up cautiously.

"It is. I- I can tell you, but it has to be in private. No one should hear this," he pulls back, bewildered. He nods and stands up in front of her.

"Come with me," he says as he reaches out his hand to help her up. She takes it, using her other hand to keep the robe closed. He lets go of her hand and he walks toward his room, looking around for Mrs. Park before he opens the door. Binna steps into his room, not focusing on the idea that she's now in his bedroom, wearing nothing but a robe. All she can focus on is her confession, and asking him to have pity on her and to help. Jungkook pushes the door almost closed, leaving a little gap open, so Binna will feel comfortable in this space with him. He turns to her, looking her over in the robe, noting the concern on her face. "What's happened?"