Boisterous laughter ensued the vehicle as soon as they got in. The sounds from the car radio quickly drowned out as the two girls in the back seat talked to each other animatedly; reminiscing about the good old days when they were teenagers in high school.
Jungkook couldn't help but glance at Chaeyoung from the rear view mirror. He was still flabbergasted at the fact that the gorgeous woman sitting next to his sister was the same petite girl he used to tease years ago.
"야!, Jungkook!" Lalisa hollered, "I was asking you a question!"
He couldn't help but roll his eyes at his sister. Lalisa had always been loud and jolly 25/8 that sometimes he couldn't keep up with all the shenanigans she was getting herself into.
"Sorry, but I was focussing on preventing us from getting into an accident," He replied sarcastically. Again, from the rear view mirror he saw Chaeyoung giggle at his words. She was undoubtedly adorable for a 23 year-old.
"Anyway, how many more minutes before we get home? Maybe we can just stop over somewhere and buy some breakfast. I'm hungry." Lisa rubbed her tummy for extra measure; not that her charms worked on her brother anyway.
Jungkook grunted. It was her fault in the first place. He understood waking him up in the wee hours of the morning to fetch her friend from the airport, but he couldn't fathom why she pushed him out of their parents's household without having any food.
"About 30. We can stop by that coffee shop you always go to."
"Oh! You're so thoughtful!" Roseanne couldn't help but say. She always found sibling relationships endearing, especially since she was an only child herself.
"Don't be fooled, Rosie. He's got ulterior motives," Lisa squinted her eyes at the driver, although she wasn't sure if he could see the look she was giving him.
"I do not!" Jungkook quickly defended himself. That was the problem with his sister's outgoing personality— she had many friends. Most of the time, Lisa's female friends were blessed with good looks, and if he wanted to make a move on them or ask for their number, he'd always end up chickening out since she always exposed him.
***
"I'll order for us," Lisa stood up from her seat once she caught ahold of her companion's orders. She jogged to the counter, waiting for the cashier to come back from the kitchen and take her requests.
Meanwhile, both Jungkook and Chaeyoung were sitting adjacent each other in awkward silence. Contrast to the liveliness that was shared on the drive home, the two now had their lips sealed. Each one was hesitant to open up a topic; it's been so long since they last saw each other, and even then, they never shared a proper conversation.
After a few moments of silence, Chaeyoung spoke up.
"So, how have you been?"
She was so used to being surrounded by chatter that it bothered her when the only sound she could hear was the piano instrumental playing from the speakers.
Jungkook glanced to her direction and smiled widely. God, he hoped he looked decent. He was hoping that his face wasn't puffy and his hair wasn't all around the place. For fuck's sake, why did he care so much?
"I've been doing great," he leaned back on the bench and crossed his arms in front of his chest. "I heard from Lisa that you've been working in Australia?"
Chaeyoung smiled in return. "Yes. It's been five years now."
"What's this? Jungkook making small talk?" Lisa gasped jokingly as she settled the tray onto the table, "Usually, he straight up asks the girl's number. I guess he's using another tactic these days."
Jungkook glared at the raven-haired girl and kicked her leg, causing her to yelp in pain.
Chaeyoung chuckled lightly. Not that she was a sadist or anything, but she found the whole scene very comical. Lisa always knew how to tease her brother, and even though Chaeyoung has been away since she was a fresh graduate from college, she still found their childish acts funny.
"Woah. Are you implying that he wants to ask for my number? I'm flattered, Kook." She played along. She was the type of person to be quiet when she was alone, but when she was with her friends, the whole berserk side of her just leaped out.
The man on the other side of the table flushed red. "Just eat your breakfast." He murmured before grabbing his plate of waffles and mug of cocoa.
***
"Parents, I have arrived!" Lisa yelled loudly as she kicked the door open. Mr. and Mrs. Jeon, who were sitting on the couch as they listened to the morning news, couldn't help but shake their heads at their daughter. It seemed like she could cause a ruckus in the whole household even if she was unconscious.
"Hi." Jungkook greeted as he pushed in Chaeyoung's suitcase. The blonde closely followed behind him before she bowed in greeting to the couple in the living room.
The Jeon family agreed to let her stay with them through the morning because her check-in time at the hotel wasn't until after lunch. They were more than happy to welcome her into their abode, after all, it wasn't every day they had guests over.
"You know, Jungkook," His mother called while she was conversing with their visitor, "You should date a girl like Chaeyoung! She's kind and well-mannered, and look! She even looks beautiful."
"엄마," Lisa whined from the kitchen, "Look at him! He's all red again!"
True to her words, Jungkook was indeed blushing. What the hell was with him today? He was acting like a teenager experiencing a bad case of puppy love, when he was a grown man.
Mustering all the dignity he has left in his body, he shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly and smiled. "I will, 엄마, just wait."
...
엄마 - 'eomma' means mom in korean
so, i don't really ship rosékook. heh.
but i really wanted this book have a wide range of selection and not just focussed on the ships that i personally like.
plus, i really wanted to do this type of plot-line with them as the center, so i couldn't pass it up.
i hope you enjoyed, my rubies.
thank you so much.
also, shoutout to nightlightrosie, playgurlbunicorn, and srach6l for their comments. y'all just put a smile to my face. ❤️
