𝐁𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐃

3. Bad Date

"You cried on the cat-sitter?!"

I sigh through my nostrils, gritting my teeth.

"Oh come on, that's pretty pathetic." Lisa sips her daily Americano as she leans into the cashier counter.

"I'm getting more and more used to that term."

She sighs, "Listen Som, you're just in a bad place right now. Things will lighten up in no time."

"No, they won't. But that's a good thought." I flash her a fake smile before reaching around her to grab a small stack of cups, which now become my building blocks for a pyramid. She sighs.

"I have another date tonight," I exclaim a little too excitedly, though I am far from excited. In fact, I'm damn near terrified.

"With who?"

"Hyunjoo." My voice falters as the name cautiously passes over my lips.

Her americano nearly tumbles to the ground before she catches it at her waist, the ice sloshing aggressively against the sides of the cup.

"What?" She juts her head toward me, eyes widened with utter shock and judgment.

"It's not a date date, it's more of a formal get together, strictly regarding our divorce agreement." I fumble with the top-tier cup as I gulp in nervousness. This is a bad idea. Not mine, for the record.

"Don't you need lawyers for that?"

"Don't you have a customer waiting for you to take their order?" I shoot her a condescending look before returning to my triangle-temple.

As much as I want to fake my death and never have to see Hyunjoo ever again, I need to go on this date. He owes me big time for all the mortgage bills I paid for him.

"Jungkook, what can I get for you sweetheart?"

My head whips around, practically twisting to my back, as I indiscreetly observe the familiar name.

He looks at me. Then orders, similarly to how a 12 year-old would with their parent's money — timid and direct. Then he looks at me again.

My lips curve up a little bit and I think I try to force in a tiny wave but he looks away too quickly to notice. Or maybe he does notice.

I mentally slap myself, telling my conscious to get itself together and to stop acting like a teenager.

But I'm embarrassed. This kid had to see a grown adult sob like a baby right into his lap.

"Somi." Lisa stands inches from me, brows furrowed in confusion.

"What?"

"I asked you twice to make an iced macchiato. You feeling okay?"

To that I ignore her, immediately busying myself with the drink, turning away from the both of them. There's heat developing in my cheeks.

I overhear Lisa informing the boy that I'll need him to watch Meonji again tonight because I have another endeavor. She speaks to him informally; he must be really young then.

After seconds of building up false courage, I step over to the counter and hand Jungkook the drink.

"Thank you," I say to him, struggling with my own words, "for...you know, last night." I giggle for some reason, and contradict my brief spurt of confidence.

He takes the cup, fingers slipping the tiniest bit against the condensation, and flashes a front-toothy grin, clearly forced as his eyes barely crinkle.

He purses his lips at Lisa and proceeds to exit into the busy streets.

"That was awkward," she carelessly remarks after the door clings shut.

"Where did you find the kid anyway? I had no idea I had a neighbor."

"Jungkook?" Lisa confirms. "He came in here the other day, asking if the loft upstairs was available for rent. I told him it was occupied and referred him to the opening at your place. He's a nice kid."

"Doesn't he look a little young to be living on his own in the city?"

She shrugs, counting money in the register. "I don't know. He's about to graduate high school so he must have some street smarts."

.

"Don't give me that nonsense, you stopped loving me too." Hyunjoo crosses and uncrosses his legs under the table, irritatedly rubbing his dark brow with his palm.

I remain still and quiet, rethinking my poor decision of coming.

"I never stopped loving you Hyunjoo," my voice is close to a whisper, "But I was sick of your constant dishonesty."

His palm runs down the length of his face as he takes a breath to relax himself. "You're ridiculous," he acknowledges.

Hyunjoo used to say this to me whenever I was right about something and he didn't want to admit it. In a way I feel sort of flattered.

"You owe me twenty thousand," I abruptly state, interweaving my fingers on the table. We're here for legal matters, I remind myself, not fluffy talk about our feelings.

"Twenty thousand?!" He lowers his volume when the waitress approaches with our meals. He doesn't look away from me and softly continues. "That can't be right. I almost never forgot to pay bills."

"Add that to your list of lies." I smile the waitress away.

"You always said you'd help!" Hyunjoo's fist hits the table, clanking the utensils.

"And you always said you loved me." I shock myself with the aggression in my tone. A proclamation that's been lurking in my conscious for the past year. And yet I still feel no relief.

To that, he doesn't answer, instead granting me this look of menace and no real emotion. A face I've seen far too many times.

I end up leaving immediately, losing my appetite at his very sight.

When I arrive at my apartment, I swing open my door to find Meonji curled into a puffle in the nanny's crisscrossed legs. The TV's on, and Jungkook's attentive eyes dart across the bright screen in the dark as he slouches on the couch.

When I shut the door he notices me, looking over with his right brow raised, lips in a relaxed pout. His eyelids blink slowly.

I walk over, to pet a tired Meonji on a tired Jungkook — who gives me a tired once over, his dark irises practically moving in slow motion as they look from my head to my calves. Awkward, but innocent, I think.

When his eyes finally meet my 'gotcha' ones, he quickly returns to the TV, eyelids still slow.

"You look tired. You should get going, get some rest." I stop petting Meonji, as it clearly makes the boy a little uncomfortable, and stare down at him until he slowly gets up. His brows suddenly downturn and he stops in his tracks.

"What is it?" I ask.

His lips click open before he says, "I was gonna ask you something."

[A/N]
Not the greatest cliffhanger but a cliffhanger nonetheless.

|xoxo|
GentleKissu