HYUN [ JJK ]

27

Jeongguk wasn't sure if he had said something wrong but one thing he was certain of, Jaehwa seemed rather off. Well, he sure didn't deserve to be referred as someone who's good at understanding women and their so-called changes of mood, was far from good at reading someone like an opened book, but maybe, just maybe he had spent his time with Jaehwa way too much that he had reached the stage where he could tell that something was bothering her.

One thing Jeongguk could say—it had nothing to do with Hoseok. Though this was the first time she met him, Jeongguk knew that it wasn't the awkwardness nor the tension between those two that made Jaehwa so silent ever since they left the daycare centre. It was funny to say that he was slightly intimidated by the way Jaehwa's face contorted as they made their way towards Hoseok's car, but no matter how he tried to shove the feeling away, there's no way Jeongguk could simply ignore it like passing wind.

So when they entered the car, Jeongguk planned to act oblivious, until Hoseok started driving towards the apartment complex.

"Hoseok." Jeongguk muttered under his breath, muttering the courage to glance at Jaehwa sitting at the backseat through the rear-view mirror. When the orange haired guy replied with a hum, Jeongguk pursed his lips, mind still debating if it was a right move to ask and talk about it with Jaehwa. Yes, he had so many choices and one of them was to talk about it with her in his apartment. But Jeongguk had known her well, knew that she would leave as soon as Hoseok pulled into a parking lot without saying anything.

They say don't make mess with a hungry woman. Well, that's because they haven't seen a mad Jaehwa yet.

At last, Jeongguk decided to blurt the words circling his mind out. "Can you drop us at Seoul Station?"

Hoseok whose eyes still on the road, knitted his eyebrows together, obviously confused at to why Jeongguk suddenly wanted to take a public transport when he had a baby with him. "What? Are you sure you can survive walking around with Hyun hugging you like a little koala? And now you are telling me you want to take the commuter?" Hoseok chuckled mockingly, one hand slapping the steering wheel out of habit. "Our daddy finally finds the gut!"

Jeongguk rolled his eyes upon hearing Hoseok's last statement. Of course, the idea of him walking around with Hyun clinging onto him and taking a public transport had never crossed his mind. Though he was an expert at parenting now, Jeongguk chose to not throw himself into a hell hole because a baby could do what you did not expect.

But the us he meant wasn't the us that Hoseok understood.

"When I said us, it means me, Hyun, and Jaehwa." Maybe his ears were playing trick on him when he heard a small gasp from behind, forcing him to glance at Jaehwa for the second time ever since they got into the car. Jeongguk shuddered a bit when their eyes met through the mirror, could feel how the rhythm of his heartbeat changed ever so slightly when he scanned her facial expression. She wasn't happy, but at the same time, Jeongguk couldn't say that she was mad. In his opinion, she seemed confused, shocked, couldn't believe what Jeongguk just told his friend. "Hyun- Hyun- Hyun's food! Yes! I just remembered that I need to buy his avocados." God, Jeongguk had never hated his forced giggle this much. "Hyun eats a lot!"

Hoseok raised an eyebrow, causing Jeongguk's stomach to flip in an explicable way before the friend nodded in acknowledgment. "I see." With one hand on the steering wheel, Hoseok nudged Jeongguk's elbow playfully.

"What." It sounded more like a statement rather than a question. Jeongguk waited for Hoseok's response but all the latter did was shaking his head with a weird grin plastered on his face.

"Enjoy buying the avocados."

_______

It surprised Jeongguk to see how Jaehwa did not utter anything since Hoseok left. From walking around Seoul Station to getting a taxi, and now they were at Namsan Park, Jaehwa was still as cold as the winter. No babbles like usual days, no complains though Jeongguk obviously lied when he said he wanted to buy stuff for Hyun's food. All she did was looking down, hands tucked in the pocket of her coat and trailed behind Jeongguk like a puppy following its owner. Normally Jaehwa would ask if she could help him carrying Hyun, but not this time where she didn't even try to look at the sleeping baby in Jeongguk's embrace.

"What's wrong with you?" Jeongguk broke the wall Jaehwa had built between them when he nonchalantly asked, voice sounded rather annoyed to be ignored like his presence there was invisible to her eyes. "Am I like an invisible creature here? Or have you lost your voice? You're mute now?"

"I'm sure there's no avocados in Namsan Park." Jaehwa finally spoke though her voice was monotone. "Then, I'll leave first."

"Kim Jaehwa!" Jeongguk didn't even notice that he just raised his voice, but everything finally hit him when he saw how his hand was gripping Jaehwa's forearm, grasping it tight as if she would escape anytime soon. Swallowing hard, Jeongguk retracted his slightly shaky hand but was quick to compose himself afterwards. "Alright. I'm sorry that I didn't consider you, but... I just have to do this, okay? I don't want us to fight again when university is starting soon and both of us have to cooperate with each other to look after Hyun." Jeongguk took a sharp inhale, saw how her pupils wavered in a way he couldn't decipher. "We can't fight at times like this so let's talk it out, huh?"

Jaehwa shook her head lightly. "When are we fighting? I-"

"You are ignoring me, Jaehwa." Jeongguk emphasised the word you, his index finger pointing towards the girl standing across him. "You wanted me to be a matured person yet you're the one who's being immature here. Keeping it all to yourself when we can talk about it."

Jaehwa sighed, white puff came out of her mouth as she did so. It was cold, but Jeongguk couldn't care less. As long as he made sure Hyun could feel his body heat, Jeongguk didn't bother being outdoor like this on winter.

"I don't like it when you did anything without asking me. Without considering me." She paused, crossing her arms over her chest. "So in love with each other, huh? So I am a married woman now?"

God, how ridiculous a woman could be? Jeongguk swore he didn't expect that Jaehwa could be so petty over small things like this.

"So you were expecting me to tell her that I got Hyun because of gambling and I lost? You really wished me to explain that Jimin and I were betting on Hyun that night?" Letting out an incredulous chuckle, Jeongguk then tilted his head, saw the notable creases on her forehead. "Are you like... on your period or something?"

"You had a choice, Jeongguk."

"God- I- I can't believe that you're mad just because I lied to her by saying that we are married! Calm down, will you? It's not like I'm really going to marry you!" He laughed mockingly when Jaehwa widened her eyes. The way she bit her quivering lips only made him want to burst into another round of laughter. Everything was funny to Jeongguk—funny how she was mad over the fact that Jeongguk made up a white lie without asking for her permission, funny how she was taken aback by his previous statement. "Calm down, Jaehwa. Just because I told her that we are married, doesn't mean you have to act like my wife or anything. If you are worried about your boyfriend, you may loosen up now because I'm not gonna snatch you away from him."

Jeongguk laughed when Jaehwa looked away, but his laughter died down when he saw a stream of colourless liquid running down her cheek.

'Why is she crying?'

______

a/n:
tysm for 20k reads!
i hope you are excited for more jeonggukXjaehwa in this act!

this is not the last act by the way.
there will be act 4 :)