Catch, 22!

Chapter 8: The Sinister Secret

"How? How is it even possible that no one has ever overheard you singing before? Clearly, you sing often. You have a strong, pure voice."

She shrugged. "I sing in my bedroom. I sing in the shower." Why was she blushing now? "I don't sing in public. Except for today," she sighed.

"Thank God for it!" Jungkook exclaimed. "If you hadn't, I wouldn't have known you possessed such a gift!"

That made her eyes grow wide, and she rejoined, "And I wouldn't have known what you were hiding either!"

"What?!!!" Jungkook asked before he could think better of speaking.

She looked at him surprised. Why did he look worried? "You know, that you also have a beautiful voice."

"Oh, yeah. That."

Had he meant something else? Was he hiding something from her? That question made her decidedly uneasy. Perhaps they'd talked enough for today. She drew her left hand from his grasp and pulled on Twenty-two's leash as she turned to look down at the puppy.

"We need to get going."

She sounded a little funny. Was that fear he heard in her voice?

Jungkook tilted his head to the side as he considered her. He could feel her pulling away from him. It saddened him. He wanted to reach out and grab her by the arm. He desired to embrace her and convince her that she could trust him. Yet he wasn't ready to tell her the whole truth. For he figured when he did, it would change everything. Then she'd want to be with him because he was Jungkook, the Golden Maknae of BTS. Not because he was simply himself, Jeon Jeong-guk.

"Ok. Will I see you again?" She heard a tremulous and insecure tone in his voice that thawed a small corner of her heart.

"I'll be here in the morning tomorrow." With those words, she turned and walked away, her eager puppy bouncing ahead of her and dragging her all the way home. She was unaware that Jungkook followed them.

Jungkook was worried. He was afraid she'd avoid his company tomorrow out of trepidation. She believed he was hiding something sinister from her. How did he convince her that his secret was harmless?

But was it really? Secretly dating a BTS member was a lot to ask of any girl. If he were a girl, he wouldn't want the pressure. Perhaps he could convince her to be simply his friend? But he really wanted to kiss her. There didn't seem to be any way out of this dilemma now that his heart was involved. He didn't even feel like he could talk to any of the guys about it yet.

It was a short walk to her house. He stood across the street and watched her walk through her front door, slamming it shut behind her. That's how he felt. Like she had firmly closed the door of her heart to him. He wanted to cross that street and knock on that door until she opened up and let him in. Instead, he turned and walked home himself.