Double Trouble | Min Yoongi

Chapter 27

How exactly had everything spiraled this way?

Had Kim Jiwon been told that her first meeting with Min Yoongi would kindle fate's interest to play and mess with the threads of their lives, she would have escaped such predicament the moment she had woken up in his bed.

With her indecisiveness between burying herself under excessive piles of work and calling in sick to stay at home, Jiwon often convinced herself that she wasn't exactly avoiding him.

Well, fine, maybe that was precisely what she had been doing these past days. But it did not help Jiwon deny the spectrum of emotions fired against her.

Despite constantly chiding herself, presenting logical thoughts to drill in her mind that she should not harbor such feelings, Jiwon's heart never listened. Each beat depicted a knock—several relentless knocks—trying to hatch her emotions from the iron bars holding them back.

Accepting her feelings and admitting defeat towards this marriage arrangement their parents had set them up was the easy way. However, doing so also equated to Jiwon giving in to what she had initially fought hard against with.

There was no denying that somewhere in the depths of her heart rested the affection she had for Min Yoongi. But perhaps in that same heart of hers resided her pride. Her pride that she had long held onto, the link to her principles she just could not throw aside.

Was there no other way?

Jiwon cupped her cheek, releasing a tired sigh as she stared at her barely touched lunch. She wondered how she and her brother ended up eating at their company's cafeteria, only to remember that Seokjin actually rolled his eyes at her this time, his exasperation over Jiwon's ordeal reaching its peak.

Thank goodness Kim Seokjin was actually the more patient sibling between the two of them. Even Jiwon was not sure if she could this be patient with herself.

Seokjin sighed, disrupting the cloud hovering over Jiwon's thoughts.

Then, she chuckled.

With a sharp intake of breath, Seokjin shook his head. Anytime now, a vein might pop on either side of his temples. "I really don't know what's going on in your mind," Seokjin complained. "One minute you look so far away and I couldnt reach you, and now it seems apparent that there's something funny going on in your head."

"I was just thinking," said Jiwon, the smile on her face lingering longer this time, clearly ignoring her brother's frustration.

"You've been thinking all week long," retorted Seokjin, but it came out more on the side of worry than with his attempt of being sacarstic.

"I've been thinking of how we probably shouldn't have chosen to eat in the cafeteria."

And the fact that I really have to snap out of it and get myself together, but of course, she did not mention this part.

"You don't like the food?" asked Seokjin as he slumped back on his chair, not quite certain where the conversation was heading to. Besides, it was not as if her food preference mattered. Seokjin could have asked the best chef in town to cater for Jiwon's meals, and his sister would probably still just stare at her plate as if she'd absorb its nutrients just by doing so.

"Haven't you noticed how the employees kept glancing at our table? I wouldn't be surprised if there is a rumor later on that the company is having a crisis." Jiwon's smile stretched with amusement. She busied herself with her food as if her appetite had returned out of nowhere.

The glum atmosphere overcasting the Kim siblings must be a sight to behold to the employees watching them with curious gazes. Should Jiwon start assuring them that: 'No, the company is alright, carry on with your lunch in peace'?

By this time, the lunch traffic had picked up again. Employees began to gather up their lunch trays and return it to the designated counter. Some lined up by the water dispensers, whilst others hurried out of the cafeteria, stealing quick glances either at their wristwatch or at the wall clock hanging above the glass door on their way out.

"You look really distressed since we got here," Jiwon spoke as the bustling noise died down.

Seokjin shot her a dry look as if to ask if she was actually pointing that out to him right now.
It was not as if Jiwon had not been looking all too despondent as well.

"And I know it's because you're worried about me," continued Jiwon. "But I think this has also gone too far that we're not even trying to be the picture perfect Kim siblings that the public expects from us." She laughed. "Mother hates it when you slouch."

"She doesn't like it when you stare into space with a frown in public," said Seokjin.

"She doesn't like quite anything I do, actually," Jiwon replied, shooting a sweet smile at her brother before taking a spoonful of her food.

"Now you're being awfully yourself again and I'm not sure what to make of it," Seokjin grumbled. "But if you're really starting to feel better right now, then I couldn't believe that eating at the company's cafeteria is what's making it possible."

"You're forgetting the fact that you've been keeping an eye on me the whole week." Jiwon placed her utensils down and hugged her sides, averting her eyes. "I'm really sorry for making you worry. "

"Are you just saying that now to put me at ease?" He leaned forward on the table. "Because as much as I'd want you to be your normal self, I wouldn't want you to force yourself to be okay."

Here came the complicated but familiar aspect of the Kim sibling's relationship: Both of them were headstrong in their own way. Throw in a little sass and some quirks, and they'd paint any canvass of a grave situation with brighter and lighter hues.

Kim Seokjin always believed that he could tell if Jiwon was telling the truth or not when it came to this. However, something about how everything in Jiwon's life has been going on lately had him reconsider.

"I'm really alright now," said Jiwon. "I've already moped around you for too long, what's the point of lying to you about it anyway?"

Seokjin regarded her for a moment. "Then," he began. "Will you finally be alright seeing Yoongi now?"

"What?"

"Or is that a no?"

Jiwon remained silent. She did not know the answer to her brother's question either.

Seokjin flashed Jiwon a soft smile. "It's alright," he said. "Your fiancé has been patient enough to keep visiting even if he couldn't meet with you yet. I'm sure a few more days would be alright."

Eyes squinting, Jiwon titled her head. Her expression reflecting the same confusion muddling her thoughts as she deciphered her brother's words.

"Yoongi?" she spoke, and Seokjin raised a brow at her. "He's been visiting?"

Seokjin nodded, taking out his phone from his blazer's pocket. "He's actually about to leave just now." Noticing the way Jiwon stared at him with wide eyes, he added, "Would you like me to tell him to wait?"

— ✿ —
hi! I've split chapter 27 into two parts and it will be published next week.

I really appreciate the patience you have with keeping up with my very sporadic update schedule ♡ I have the chapter outlines for the next updates but my writer's block is getting in the way of my writing. I honestly miss getting creativity bursts every now and then, but me not writing for quite a while got my writing a bit rusty, too.

comments and constructive criticisms are very much welcome as always, especially now that I'm trying to get the hang of writing again.

hope you all are doing well.
all the love,
katy ♡