HYUN [ JJK ]

03

Jaehwa stepped out of her car with Yerin's voice playing at the back of her mind like a tape she wanted to remove forever. She had spent the whole day lying in her bed thinking about her thoughts on Jeongguk and she had came to a conclusion that she was indeed a bit too much to think that he was some kind of bad boys when she barely knew him. Today was her second day working as a babysitter and she did not ask for much—Jaehwa hoped today would become a better day, without Jeongguk talking nonsense and staring at her chest.

When she stood in front of the door of his apartment, Jaehwa did not expect that her heart would palpitate so fast as if it would leap out of its cage anytime soon. She couldn't tell whether she was nervous to start a new day as a babysitter or she's just feeling guilty towards Jeongguk. Though she couldn't lie that a bit of her was not ready to face the guy, she had no choice but to knock on the door, her heels subconsciously tapping the floor as she waited for his reply.

Unlike their first met, Jeongguk looked rather calm today, no hint of hatred nor frown were visible on his face. His round eyes bored into hers as he pushed the door behind him, as if he was confused to saw her presence at his doorstep.

"W- why?" Jaehwa looked down at herself to see if there's anything wrong with her outfit.

"Nothing. Come in." Turning his heels, Jeongguk walked towards the living room with Jaehwa trailing behind.

She felt like she just entered a different house—unlike the one which was on the verge of anarchy yesterday, the apartment was cleaned from any empty cans, the formula that greeted her from the couch yesterday was no longer there. As she was busy looking around the house, Hyun who was lying on the mat almost go unnoticed, small figure towered by Jeongguk who now had the game controller in his hands, mouth hang open with his eyes glued to the screen.

Jaehwa knelt down to plant a quick peck on Hyun's chubby cheek, smiling before her focus turned to the guy across her. She had no clue what was happening on the screen but she saw his character running around and a bar of what she assumed as Jeongguk's health at the corner of the screen. String of incoherent words slipped out of his mouth when the screen turned into a flash, and Jaehwa being herself who never tried to know about game, ended up staring at his back blankly.

"Jeongguk-"

"Wait. I need to level up."

Jaehwa hissed under her breath as she waited for him to finish his game. It took almost half an hour for him to finally put the controllers down and turned around.

"Sorry, I was busy. What did you want to say just now?"

Jaehwa rolled her eyes at the word busy. "Why did you ask me to come over when Hyun is already asleep?"

"So we only have to look after a baby when he or she is awake?" Jeongguk arched one of his eyebrows, waiting for Jaehwa's response.

"I mean- there's no point for me to come over-"

"I paid you for this, Jaehwa." Jeongguk interfered. "When I ask you to come over, no matter if Hyun is awake or not, you must come over."

"So I have to come all the way to your apartment only to watch you play a video game-"

"The name is Overwatch."

"Stop cutting off my words!" Jaehwa raised her voice. She was too overwhelmed by her feelings to realise what she just done and when her sanity finally came to her again, she quickly pressed her palm against her mouth. "I'm- I'm sorry. That was unintended."

Jeongguk tilted his head before letting out a small hum. He didn't look like he's mad but for some reason, Jaehwa could tell that he wouldn't let what just happened slide.

"You raised your voice. First, you could wake Hyun up. Did you know how I struggled to put him to sleep?" Jeongguk wet his lower lip and scooted closer to her. "Second, even though we are only a year apart, you should have learned how to respect someone who paid you. You are in my house and you are trying to tell me to stop what I'm doing and listen to you all the time? Wow, you are really one of a kind, Miss Jaehwa."

Chewing the inner of her cheeks, Jaehwa threw her gaze out the window, the urge to talk back was too much for her to contain. She was well aware that she should've controlled herself but being in her nature, there's no way she could let this slide. Whoever Jeongguk was, she just couldn't bring herself to think of him as a picture-perfect father just like what Yerin had told her yesterday, and Jeongguk's overall demeanour so far played a major in the way she looked at him.

"Jeongguk, let's talk. I don't think we can work together if the only thing we do when we meet each other is bickering like this." She noticed Jeongguk's small sigh, his facial expression softened into a one Jaehwa's couldn't decipher. "It's for the sake of Hyun too."

Jeongguk almost threw the controller onto the floor before getting up, walking straight to the kitchen as if Jaehwa was an invisible creature there. The guy headed to get himself a glass of plain water, propping himself up on the kitchen counter before he turned his focus to Jaehwa who could only bit her lower lip out of frustration.

"Stop using Hyun as an excuse." Jeongguk's voice sounded as a mumble when he brought to edge of the glass to his lips, taking a gulp of the drink. "You... are interested in me, aren't you?"

Jaehwa shut her eyes and stood up, stomping her way towards the kitchen counter. A playful smirk was evident on his face when Jaehwa took a seat on one of the stools, fingers clasped together as she waited for him to put the glass down.

"I hate fuck boys." She deadpanned, wearing the most disgusted expression on her face. Noticing the guy across him starting to avert his gaze towards her, Jaehwa continued. "I decided to continue babysitting because of Hyun. Because of that poor baby. I feel sorry that he has a father like you."

Jeongguk's overconfident stance changed almost immediately, eyes doubled in size but they didn't stop Jaehwa from crossing her arms over her chest, glad to see how taken aback he was.

"There's a reason why I am against sex before marriage. At the age of 24, huh? You're still a student yet you had an unprotected sex? Tch." Jaehwa clapped her hands mockingly, at this rate her intimidation of what he probably would do next were no longer bothering her mind. "You deserve the praise for keeping the baby, but why would you do that when you're not fit to be a father in the first place?"

"What the hell are you talking about?"