Take My Hands Now

Chapter 5

With an absolutely arbitrary deadline in mind, Jungkook dutifully headed to the bookstore the next afternoon. He bought you a caramel macchiato. "Last one", he said as he left it on the counter for you.

You have started to get used to his wandering around the bookstore now. You still weren't sure what kind of stunt he was trying to pull but you were fairly certain this will probably die down after a while, once he got bored or finds something better to do.

He sauntered around the children's section and found the book he saw you perusing that first time he came here. "Pfft, Winnie-the-Pooh", he scoffed in a murmuring volume.

But he still ended up taking a copy and flipping through it. Jungkook was focusing more on the pictures than the words, eventually he landed on one page that looked similar to what he saw you reading that day:

"All I can tell you, Pooh and Piglet, is that right now I feel really rather Sad, and Alone, and Not Much Fun To Be Around At All.

Which is why I haven't bothered you. Because you wouldn't want to waste your time hanging out with someone who is Sad, and Alone, and Not Much Fun To Be Around At All, would you now."

Pooh looked at Piglet, and Piglet looked at Pooh, and they both sat down, one on either side of Eeyore in his stick house.

Eeyore looked at them in surprise. "What are you doing?"

"We're sitting here with you," said Pooh..."

—

Another day. Jungkook must have gotten tired of loitering in the bookstore, so he sat on the bench in the atrium of the mall facing the store, sipping on his iced chocolate while playing with his phone.

You knocked off from work and contemplated sneaking off without him noticing but somehow you felt that would be too mean. So, you walked over and said, "Are you not leaving?"

"I'm waiting for someone", he replied matter-of-factly still looking at his phone.

Oh, he was? Guess you weren't the reason why he stuck around then, you were mentally reprimanding yourself for assuming.

Just then, a low and refined voice came from behind you, "Why are you waiting here, you could have just waited at the restaurant", the man who said this walked up to Jungkook. He was middle-aged, dressed in a bespoke suit and had a pleasant disposition.

"I was waiting for this one to finish her shift", Jungkook pointed at you while replying. So, was he waiting for you or him? This is so confusing.

"Y/N, this is my dad. Dad, you wouldn't mind if she joins us for dinner right?", Jungkook said.

"Nice to meet you Mr. Jeon", you blurted out, at the same time suppressing your urge to just run away.

"Nice to meet you too young lady. We are going to the hotel's restaurant. Care to join us, Y/N? The chef we hired there is really good", he asked as he gave you the friendliest smile you have seen from anyone of that stature. And wait, so they own the hotel annexed to the mall too?

Once you were seated at a corner table with a superb view of the city, the manager of the restaurant came over personally with the menu.

"What would the two of you like to have today?", Jungkook's dad said while turning the pages.

"Jungkook always gets the grilled steak here, Sir", the manager said confidently, "medium rare again?", he asked. Jungkook simply nodded his head without even opening the menu.

"Oh, does he? I'll take the lamb chop instead, what about you, Y/N?", Jungkook's father added.

You ordered a pasta and his dad insisted on getting everyone a cup of coffee, although you really didn't want one when it was already dinner time. The rest of the meal was cordial. A little too cordial.