Stigma ✔

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Jin

"Where are we going?"

Five seconds later...

"Jin, are we going to eat?"

Another five seconds...

"Are you seriously going to do this?"

...

"Ugh...fine don't tell me." She scoffed and turned away from me to look out of the window.

I pushed down a smile and looked at her from the corner of my eyes. The newly bought coat and the scarf was wrapped around her while she held onto my padding jacket desperately. We left Seoul ten minutes ago and are en route to my surprise for thirty minutes now. We had to make yet another diversion to a grocery store because she needed to use the washroom.  

Unfortunately, the grocery store we chose had a few fans who instantly recognized JooHyun. They had no clue that I was in the car outside or else we both would be trending on social media by now.  

The boys saw the photos of Joohyun online and a surprised Namjoon called me. He thought I was taking her home seeing the address of that store but I assured him that it was not the case. I could hear the disgruntled noises behind him saying words along the lines of 'Betrayer', 'You rarely take us there, Hyung', 'Can I come?', when I told them where we are going. 

Namjoon and Yoongi absolutely love that place because of the solitude it provides while the maknae line love because of the unlimited access to the arcade games.

"I don't want to ruin the surprise for you, JooHyun-ah. It's worth the wait. Trust me, will you?" I say softly, reaching out to pat her head.

She stays silent for a while before shuffling under the layers to turn to me.

"By the way, why do you speak informal to me? You do know that I am older than you, right?" She asks me.

"What? You are older than me?" I ask, shocked. Why was I not aware of this. She definitely does not look her age. I always thought she was younger than me.

She laughed. "Now it makes sense. That's why you don't call me Noona."

I smile and look at her, "Why? Do you want me to call you Noona?" I ask, teasing her, enjoying the deep blush that creeps up her face. 

So cute.

"Ani. It's refreshing actually. You don't have to if you don't want to..." She trails off hiding her face in her scarf.

I feel my ears getting hot at the sight. Oh, how badly I want to kiss her right now.

Wait a minute.

Arghh! Bad Jin! Bad Jin!

I gulp and look back to the road only to realize I just crossed the turn I was supposed to take. I internally groan. The effect this girl has on me...

I quickly take a turn and correct my route. I park the car in front of a small eatery tent and turn to her. Her eyes are focused on the tent, unsure.

"Is this where we are going?" She asks timidly, not wanting to somehow upset me.

"Yes. Don't worry it's not as bad as it looks." I say, taking off my seat belt and shrugging on my jacket and scarf I borrow from the backseat. "Let's go."

We both rushed inside the small tent that stood on the side of the road. It is a perfect example of 'Looks can be deceiving.' The owner of this shop was such a genius that sometimes I wondered why he chose this line of business.

The 'Outer Circle' as it was infamously called, is a small food stall with plastic sheets as walls and two or three tables as sitting area. At least that is what it looks like for people who are unaware of this place. They usually ate here and left clueless.

The magic of this place lies behind the main counter.

Behind the small billing counter (which also served as a small kitchen) is a small door that is almost blended with the minimalist decor the owner tried to have. The door actually opened to a corridor having two other doors out of which one was towards the actual kitchen and the other to the new world named as 'Inner cirlce'.

Sounds dramatic, doesn't it?

Had this place been discovered by the right people, it would have been an infamous hangout place for celebrities who wanted to enjoy eating meals outside their house without cameras flashing at them. But that was the beauty of this place.

Only those who knew of this place and those who had an strong connection to the owner were allowed entry here.

Irene and I stepped inside the tent and looked around.

"Jin, are you sure this is a safe place?" She asked doubtfully, scanning the awful ambiance of the place before it landed on the three well-muscled men huddled together playing a game of cards. 

"Yes. Definitely. I have been here before..." I trail off seeing her warily glancing at the men.

An idea strikes my mind as I look at the scared look on her face.

I am sorry JooHyun-ah. But I can't resist myself.

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