Enhanced || JJK

IX. On The Way Home

The next few days of internship at the ALF Lab were amazing, but there was something bothering me. Jungkook wasn't talking to me, he wouldn't even look at me. Which was fine, because I don't crave his attention, especially the type of attention he usually gives me. But it felt really uncomfortable, because sometimes our mentors left us on our own, telling us that we could help each other while they were busy with something else, but he would just stay there silent, doing what he needed to do and even if I wanted to ask him for help I felt like it would have been awkward if I talked to him. It's not like I really needed his help, I mean, beside him I'm the top of my course, but sometimes things are easier when you do them with someone else.

So on Friday, after saying bye to everyone and wishing everyone to spend a nice weekend, I stopped Jungkook before he would cross the street and take another way home, which is what he had been doing since the day that Tae caught us talking.
"Hey Jungkook... Can, can I talk to you? I mean we could walk together..."
I already felt really awkward, because usually I'm the one running away from him and him holding me back, but this time it was the other way around. And it was already my second time chasing him in a week.
"Isn't your boyfriend gonna get mad or something?" He answered coldly.
"My what?" I was confused.
"He was being pretty protective the other day, I don't think he'd be happy if he knew we talked..."
And then I connected the dots.
"Are you talking about Taehyung?"
"Who else? Do you have more than one boyfriend?" It was supposed to be a joke but his expression was dead serious, almost scary.

So I laughed, trying to make the situation less serious and also because he actually thought that me and Tae were a couple. I mean, yeah, I can understand why he would think that, after all he's not the first one to think that, but it's still so funny to hear it.
"No no, me and Tae, we're not... we're friends, like best friends..."
"Oh yeah, sure... That's exactly how a friend would act..." He said sarcastically.
"No, I swear! I mean, I know he can look a tiny bit overprotective, but it's just 'cause he cares about me... as a friend!" I tried to explain, probably putting more effort than I should have. It almost looked like I did something wrong and I was trying to apologize for it.
"You don't have to lie... If, for some reason, you don't want people to know that you're dating that guy-"
"I'm NOT dating him!" I interrupted him.
"You're... you're being serious?" He asked, actually confused.
"Do I look like I'm joking?" I said, putting my most serious face on.

He went silent for a few seconds, so I took the opportunity to ask him again.
"So, you're coming or what?"
He started to walk as an answer and that day we walked home together for the first time.
"What did you want to talk about?" He asked and now his tone didn't sound the same apathetic tone as five seconds before.
"Oh, I just... I wanted to ask if we could, you know, try to be less awkward at the Lab... I mean, you weren't talking to me, so..."
"Well, that was because I thought Taehyung was your boyfriend..." He answered as if it was obvious.
"What? What does it have to do with us talking at the Lab?"
"Well, he clearly wanted me to stay away from you, so... I mean, it's not like I take anyone's orders, especially his... But if I was your boyfrie- I mean, if I was anyone's boyfriend, I'm talking in general! Then I wouldn't want any guy to be bothering my girlfriend..." He explained, slightly stuttering at times, which isn't like him.

"So you're admitting that you bother me... purposefully... right?" I took the chance to get his confession.
"Well, yeah... Why would I bother you not on purpose? That would be dumb..." He answered, going back to being his usual jokester self.
"Why would you bother me at all?" I asked, dumbfounded by his answer.
"Well, I'd say because it's fun, but if I say that word again, you'll kill me..." He laughed.
"Is that even a reason?" I asked, still annoyed about the whole 'fun' thing.
"Well... That's... I don't know... It's always been this way between us... What do you want me to do?" He said and I couldn't grasp if he was still being sarcastic or serious, but I assumed he was joking as usual.
"Whatever, I lost hope with you..." I admitted defeated.

"This is my stop." He said, halting.
I looked around and noticed we were in the rich neighborhood. I had always walked through it to get to other areas of the city, but I'd never stopped to look around, because I never really cared. I didn't know he lived there.
The house he stopped in front of was beautiful, with all the latest upgrades in architecture and eco-design.
"You... wanna come in?" He asked, probably after noticing that I was staring at his house as if I wanted to eat it.
"What? No, no, of course not! That would be... weird! I... I'll... get going..." I said, coming back to my senses and starting to leave in a rush.
"I'll see you tomorrow... Oh no, it's the weekend! Then I'll see you next week! Bye..." I kept blabbering while getting further away from him and finally turning my back to rapidly leave without letting him say bye back.

I had a weird feeling in my stomach and my face felt really hot. I kept asking myself how he could have asked something like that so bluntly. I mean, yeah, I always invite Tae over to my house, but that's different, we are friends. Maybe he thought we were becoming friends and that's why he asked. Or maybe he asks anyone, just to brag about his super cool house. Then I remembered all of his ex-girlfriends gossiping in the high school hallways about having been to his house, and the thought bothered me, for some reason. I tried to stop myself from feeling that way and having those thoughts, but it didn't work.
I knew I was falling back into the 'Jungkook habit' but I didn't know how to stop it. It felt like an old addiction, the one that you can go without for a while, but you fall back in straight away once it appears again. The one you never really quit. The one that stays with you for life, even if latent.
There was just no cure. I was gonna be stuck with my addiction to Jungkook forever and there was nothing I could do about it.