2U

Chapter 11: Flirting

There's less than a month before Christmas — Lalisa and Chaeyoung had the perfect gifts in mind to give to their crushes.

However, before thinking of Christmas presents and whatnot, they have to think of their upcoming exams due in two weeks first.

Chaeyoung was excused for school today — they sent her to a register for a beauty pageant. Her parents told her that joining and winning beauty pageants can help her with her modelling career. So, she took it into consideration.

Since Chaeyoung wasn't present, Lalisa decided to go to the library for once. She needed a quiet place to study, and their classroom was surely not an option.

Entering the library, inhaling the air, she couldn't help but feel a sense of comfort. The aroma of the old books and even the new books seemed to appeal to her liking. She felt satisfied.

Originally, she was prompted to study. However, seeing all the novels that she could possibly read excited her. She was a romantic, she admits. So imagine how much she refrained herself from squealing upon laying eyes on one of her favourite romance novels.

She didn't dare question the librarian why such a book would be available there. Instead, she felt eternally grateful, basically skipping to a seat near the shelf.

She sat down, the sound of her shoes lightly tapping the ground. There, she slowly opened the first few pages of the book. Her eyes formed into little crescents, biting her bottom lip as she found herself in her own little world there. In fact, she's fascinated by what a book can do — it sucks you into a new world.

Lalisa managed to finish halfway through the book. Before turning another page, she was startled when she saw a figure right across her.

Her eyes widened, mouth ajar upon laying eyes on Jeon Jungkook casually sitting in front of her, also reading a book. "J–Jungkook! Hi! How long have you been here?"

Jungkook glanced at her, eyes returning to the book he was reading as he responded, "Since you were in the sixth chapter," he nonchalantly responded.

"Sixth . . . ?" Lalisa glanced at the book, face growing pale at the realisation that she was already at sixteenth one. Why haven't I noticed that Jungkook was there? Lalisa mentally cursed at herself. "Oh, why are you here? Shouldn't you be attending classes?"

Jungkook paused from turning another page, a brow lifting at her as he quipped, "Shouldn't I be the one asking you that?" He shook his head, sighing right after. "You missed two classes."

"I did?" Lalisa bit her bottom lip, brows knitting together. "Wait, why are you here, then?"

"I was excused, I need to study for the division quiz bee," Jungkook mumbles.

Lalisa nodded, growing a bit embarrassed. "Right, I should go now."

"Look at the time," he tells her, eyes fixated on his book.

Lalisa checked her wristwatch, growing pale upon seeing that there was one class left — and it had to be Phys-Ed where they barely do anything. She figured that class will be dismissed right after, so she ought to get her things instead.

"Excuse me, I'll just——" She stopped midway upon seeing her bag and stuff right beside Jungkook. "You . . . already got my stuff?"

"While you were busy reading there, I got back to our classroom a few minutes ago and went to get my bag knowing that we don't do anything in Phys-Ed," he explains as his pupils moved left to right across the book, seemingly studying and talking to her simultaneously.

"Why'd you . . ." She scratches her head, deciding not to question him any further. "Thank you."

Jungkook finally glanced at her, suddenly starting to rub his nape at Lalisa's appreciation. "Don't mention it, I guess . . ." he mumbles. "We walk home together, anyway."