Please Love Me | JJK

Epilogue: Bonus (03)

Jungkook scrolls through his phone with one hand while the other towel dries his hair, his eyebrows furrowing because he still hasn't made up his mind about next week's date with you.

"What about Mingles? You guys said it's pretty good there, right?"

He asks his best friend, who puts on a loose sweatshirt, having dried up himself. Both men are currently dressing up at the locker room after a good few hours of working out in Jimin's apartment building. He'd won the rock, papers, scissors yesterday so he gets to skip on the post-gym drive home on this Tuesday night, to Jungkook's disappointment.

"Yeah, I liked it there. But wasn't your last date at a Korean restaurant, too?" Jimin asks. "Gaon, wasn't it? Might wanna try something new."

"Hmm," Jungkook hums, recalling the fancy date from 3 weeks ago where you both went to an art auction just for fun.

You two didn't plan on purchasing anything, but you did play a guessing game of how much each item would be sold. Being the more familiar between the two, you won by a landslide, and that meant Jungkook had to plan the next date, since neither one of your indecisive asses wanted that responsibility.

It's why he's here now, racking his brain on where to eat. Choosing what to do is easy - you've both gotten more comfortable and adventurous recently, from doing an escape room to going on a ghost tour - but for some reason, choosing a restaurant is difficult.

Perhaps it's because he loves food so much and you enjoy desserts; perhaps it's just wanting to end the night on a perfect note and a good meal always does the trick. Maybe it's because he still wants to impress you after over 2 years of being married.

"Oh, something French!" Jungkook's eyes light up. "They had that French cuisine challenge in Masterchef the other night and ___ has been craving it. Maybe we could try..." he trails, searching for a good place. "The one in Lotte World Tower. It's got a nice view and it has a Pastry Library. Wait, why does this place sound familiar?"

"Because you wanted to eat there before but couldn't get a reservation," Jimin answers, face suddenly in a frown. "But maybe choose another restaurant."

"Why? Their food looks good. She'd like this," Jungkook says, showing the photos of the food to his friend.

"Just don't, Kook. There are other good French restaurants out there. There's one in Gangnam—"

"But I wanna go here. Why shouldn't I?"

"Bad memories," Jimin settles. "It's probably not best for you and ___ to go there."

"Why? Did someone stand her up there?" Jungkook presses, his blood boiling now.

"Uh... you. Sort of," Jimin tries to smile.

"What do you mean, me? I've never heard her mention this place before."

"Yeah, because you turned her down before she could even ask you."

"You're not making sense," Jungkook scowls at his friend, his heart rate suddenly speeding up at the thought that he'd upset you and he didn't even know about it.

"Fine. Remember that trip to Japan with me and Tae because, and I quote, it was your last birthday as a free man?"

It takes a while before Jungkook remembers but when he does, everything comes back to him - all the fancy food, the booze, the clubs they went to, and the women who hit on him - whom he didn't entertain, he reminds himself. It was the one before you both got married, and it felt like an unofficial bachelor's party, as he said goodbye to his old ways after that trip.

"How does that trip have anything to do with the restaurant?" Jungkook furrows his brows again.

"___ was supposed to surprise you for your birthday, adjusted her schedule and paid heaps to get a reservation because you apparently mentioned wanting to eat there one time but then you decided to take that trip instead so she just canceled it and—"