there he leaned on the railing alongside the foyer with a wide ass grin on his face, smiling like a fool as the sound of the camera shutters echoed in the hall.

"okay, that's enough smiling now, give me a stare," the director said to him as the hairstylist, niamh, quickly fixed his bangs which were now covered in a little bit of sweat which rather added to the theme. he was looking remarkably hot, and niamh kept giving him occasional winks; to which he was extremely welcoming, grinning at her as well. the director walked to him trying to describe how he had to pose next while jungkook, well. lost in his own world, he was absently staring at the small camera screen while keeping the idiotic smile intact.

noona had kissed him. his fists were balled together and the doe eyes had shut close forcibly at her sudden move, but he somewhat did not mind it. scratch that, he didn't mind it at all.

for a moment, he stood idle not knowing how to react. however, his muscles relaxed as his hand travelled from her waist to her hair. he bent a little lower to match her height, the other hand that was still holding her waist slowly wrapping around her form and picking her up.

he placed y/n on the table behind him, tilting his head before slightly nuzzling his nose with hers and kissing her back profoundly. she gasped amidst the process but that didn't prevent him from maintaining the contact between the two of them, their connected mouths trying to win over one another but failing to do so at the same time, without any complaints.

her legs wrapped around his calves, hands resting on his firm shoulders while his' were wrapped around her, hugging her along with softly parting his lips from hers, just to mingle again.

she was surprisingly not hesitant at all to reciprocate his bold moves which she'd never known he could display.

does he do that to other girls too?

the thought struck her mind and made her unconsciously push him back and strongly grab his hair, earning a moan but she remoulded his mouth back into an open-mouthed kiss. although his mind couldn't completely formulate everything at this point; he could still feel the little source of pain on his ebony locks and it drove him even crazier at that sexy idea. she leaned into him and he held her tightly, preventing her from falling down, but then their hazy intentions were suddenly interrupted by a loud voice. "NOONA JIWOO IS CALLING YOU!" taehyung screeched again and jungkook's leg slipped immediately, bringing her down on the floor along with him with a loud thud.

"holy shit-"

"jesus christ-"

the two of them spat to no one in particular as a stunned jungkook sat up grabbing his forelocks with wide and shaky eyes, y/n following his movements. somehow, she seemed like she was in the same mental state as his, foolishly touching her lips with a hand while the other rested on his chest. "that wasn't supposed to happen was it?" she whispered and he shook his head like a puppy while she gazed at his face with a lost expression. 

"goddamn," he said instead and she looked up at his eyes which were now staring at hers. "what?" y/n asked and his lips started to stretch into a wide grin accompanied by a maniacal laugh. "i- jungkook?" she let out tilting her head concerned and he glanced at her face before grabbing her head from either side and pressing rough, harsh pecks on her head, cheeks, chin, and finally, her lips.

she frowned, her mouth left hung. "did you just-" "shhh" he shushed her before standing up and dusting his pants. he walked away, leaving her staring at the floor not for very long. in a few moments he came back running towards her, scratching his neck with a dumbfounded face. "oh, it's you that had to go, isn't it?" he blabbered, making her look up at his tall form and mutter a "yeah."

"umm... here" he awkwardly stretched out his hand to her and she held it tightly, pulling her body off the ground that felt way too gravitated than usual. "jiwoo" she said and he nodded.

"right," she uttered again before running away from the wretched room with uneven pants and an unwanted smile on her features.

he stood in his spot watching her run away, toppling down some stuff on her way out evidently displaying nervousness. he bit his lip, trying not to scream or screech like the fangirls he saw in  bigbang concerts.

he threw his fists in the air, bouncing a little bit to calm himself down before wiping the sweat off his face carefully without messing up the makeup his noona just did for him. he closed his eyes, shaking his head to clear his mind before walking out of the room, noticing that everything was suddenly appearing happy and merry.

"...jungkook-ah?" the director urged him, trying to bring him back to the universe and he calmly turned his head towards the elder. "hm?" he asked with a jolly smile and one of the models cracked up a little bit. "you're still smiling..?" he asked and jungkook let out an 'oh'.

"should we take a break?" he asked again and jungkook frowned. "of course not, no need~" he giggled before speaking out in his native language mixed with a little bit of English and the director stared at him for a moment with an open mouth. "no, jungkook. i mean, you chose a sexy concept, didn't you? and you were killing it on the beach yesterday! then why are you acting like you just bumped into your high school crush this afternoon?" he exclaimed after running out of patience.

"let's just take a break" the director mumbled to no one in particular, giving up on the grinning boy who didn't seem guilty for spacing out.

❦

"jungkook...?" she whispered, getting into the room where he was staying with the two other guys. "asleep?" she spoke a little louder until she saw him on the bed under messed up sheets. "jungkook-ah" she voiced again and he snorted, turning his head to another side. she softly chortled before sitting next to his bed on the floor.

"i.. i'm going to the aquarium nearby," she softly said and in return received a small whine. "why do you likes aquabrillium?" he grumbled with messed up grammar resulting with her raise her eyebrows. "it's okay, get some sleep" she smiled awkwardly before reaching out her hand to cover him but instead deciding to turn around and walk out of the room. "wait!" he groaned again upon hearing the sound of her footsteps but it was left unheard.

"the bus leaves in an hour, right?" she asked niamh who nodded, not turning to look at her. "i will just visit the aquarium nearby. will you tell that to anyone who looks for me?" y/n further added to which niamh hmmed with disinterest. "bye, niamh" she simply gave a tap on her shoulder before walking out of the lobby, already used to her behaviour.

"oh, y/n!" a voice called her from behind and she turned around to find jiwoo looking at her with a charming grin. "good morning, jiwoo" she beamed back before he asked where she was going. "to the aquabrilliu- aquarium!" she shook her head while blinking, correcting herself. "mind if i join you?" he asked and she tilted her head.

❦

why did i do that again?

she stared at the blue lights, illuminating the water with beautiful organisms swimming around. she couldn't help but recall the feverish touch, the closed eyes, the soft sensation on her lips and-

right. he asked me to kiss him. 

why did he do that though? he didn't like her too, did he? was he just playing? but no, it was a kiss for god's sake! and he wouldn't play about something like this! so he really wanted to kiss her? or was it just the heat of the moment? why think about him right now?

look how he got my thoughts in circles. i should be looking at the fucking fishes!

"don't think so much about me, it's unhealthy." a voice startled her, her body slightly shifting before turning around to take a look at the whisperer's face. "oh," y/n let out, looking at jiwoo with a chuckle. 

"you know, there has been some tension between us ever since we met a couple of months ago, and i know you can see it," he winked and her mouth opened to speak. "oh its totally welcomed by me!" he raised his hands in defence before y/n could say something, making her look down with a calm smile on her face.

"i don't really think i was the one to initiate anything, though" she tipped her head to the side, still smiling. "oh but i know you are trying to," he said leaning towards her and she realized how close he had brought himself.

"oh but actually, she wasn't." she was interrupted by someone strolling towards the pair. "sorry? who are you?" jiwoo sourly smiled receiving a perfectly carved artificial smile from jungkook. "someone who clearly knows you already have a girlfriend." he replied, walking in between of the two. "and someone who certainly doesn't want you around y/n" he completed, muttering the last part. "sylvie is looking for you outside," he added, now standing in front of him with his hands buried in the pockets of his jeans.

"what are you trying to imply here?" jiwoo asked with a frown on his face. "this is something personal to y/n and me, and you are nobody to decide for her." he said and y/n scoffed silently, not wanting to watch this scene unfold in front of her and turning away. "well i've got to say i'm very well aware what's personal to her and what's not," jungkook ran his tongue over his teeth making the older woman throw her head back in the air. "i'm not answerable to you," jiwoo smiled back scornfully. he heard sylvie's voice calling out for him leaving him with no other option than rolling his eyes and wordlessly walking away. 

"i told you to bring me along, didn't i?" jungkook spoke in the same tone making y/n slightly frown. "you were fast asleep, and i knew for a fact you'd prefer that instead of this." she casually replied making him look down at his feet and then back towards the fishes. "it doesn't matter what i would prefer." he stated with an annoyed tone. "what's the matter? what's with your mood?" she asked shortly, turning towards him. "and what was that about?" she whisper-shouted, glaring at him while motioning towards the direction jiwoo went in. 

"noona, you can't act clueless now." he shook his head with his eyebrows furrowed and she pressed her lips together. "he keeps hitting on you! surely you know that" he poked his inner cheek making her chuckle. "so what?" she murmured. "so what? so what?" he scoffed in disbelief. "something happened yesterday, didn't it?" he stated the obvious.

"did it?" she asked and his lips parted. he crossed his arms, licking his bottom lip in frustration and she stepped closer to him. "do you really want to make it awkward? i felt like it was best to forget whatever happened." she voiced. "wha- no! i do not want to forget whatever happened! and i definitely don't want that man to flirt with you and you to enjoy that!" he exclaimed with agitation.

"i am not enjoying it!" she exclaimed, earning a few stares from the people around her. she quietened for a moment, blinking away the slight embarrassment. "jiwoo is just a friend. i don't understand why you hate him so much." she shook her head and he let out an exasperated sigh, trying to hold his temper. "why are we still playing dumb?" he let out instead, asking you like it was a genuine enigma.

"jungkook" she frowned with concern. "no, i mean, you're about to leave, it isn't the most pleasant news to me and i thought i made that clear, then why are we still playing dumb?" he demanded and she fidgeted with her fingers before looking at him. "because this... will probably not work." she gestured. "it will probably ruin what we have and i don't want it to. and why does it matter anyway? it was just-"

"god, because i like you! that's why!" he exclaimed making her lips tremble a little. "i know you like me!" she breathed out and he tiredly frowned. "not that, noona. i really do love you. not just as your best friend" he double-quoted the last words with his fingers. she let out the breath she was holding for so long before unexpected anxiety enveloped her thoughts. "is that what you needed to hear?" he asked, almost on the verge of breaking down. "then there you go, i love you." he said again and their hearts thumped against their chests emphatically, as if a burden had been swiftly lifted from their shoulders.

"for once I'm being selfish, y/n. and for once I want you to be selfish for yourself too." he let out and she stared at his irritated face for a few seconds but soon her expression turned into a troubled one. she looked around, trying to find words for embodying her feelings which she wasn't sure were emotionally true to her. "this... i can't do this," she whispered. "not now, not when i'm going away." she breathed out making him lower his gaze even more. 

"but you don't have to," he almost whined, complaining. "i can't. i want this job!" y/n pressed her lips together. "you don't want it, you just think you need it! just like you always feel like you need to carry the burden of everyone around you. but in reality, it's all gonna be fine. our family is going to manage this together." he specified and her lips parted a little when he referred to her family as his' too, leaving her even more entangled in her thoughts. "you're being unnecessarily stubborn." he threw his hands in the air. "no, you're being stubborn!" she insisted instead with a certain uncertainty in her strong voice making him sigh and click his tongue.

"i will probably never understand the point. we'll never be on the same page when it comes to this." he shook his head, looking at his surroundings as she followed his eyes with parted lips. he waited for her to say something but she didn't, leaving him even more pissed off than he was before. "and here i was, all happy that things are gonna get better," he looked away, a simper on his face.

"you know what? you're actually right. aquariums just aren't the place for me." he grunted with his arms on his waist before storming off.

❦

her hand stretched out of the window, feeling the seoul atmosphere connect with her thoughts as she closed her eyes for a brief moment. jungkook secretly stole a glance before focusing back on the road, flattening his lips. y/n blinked at the feeling of the cold wind hitting her face, turning her head to the other side. 

"it isn't cold today." she mumbled, switching off the blower. "yeah, sure." he sarcastically responded, closing her window only to find her opening it again instantly with a stern look and a natural pout on her face. he clicked his tongue, the smallest of things leaving him confused with respect to what he felt. every moment he saw her, he felt like he should treat her preciously before he loses his chance; but then again he couldn't bring himself to do that.

because it was happening.

she couldn't persuade herself to look at the younger directly either, and she couldn't convince herself to talk to him carelessly. after days of almost absolute ignorance, he'd proposed the idea of driving y/n to the airport one day prior to her departure. she was confused so as to why he would want to do that after her shallow, oblivious and obnoxious behaviour towards him, but she ended up agreeing with it because she had no heart to refuse him for anything anymore.

her eyes widened when she suddenly realized she almost forgot to do something. she quickly fumbled with her handbag, taking out the desired item and quietly slipping it into his coat's pocket. he couldn't quite catch it as he was more attentive towards the route, but he simply wondered what it could be as she pat his pocket twice before turning back towards her side of the car.

jungkook bit his inner cheek, trying to breathe normally under the rigid mood after they finally reached their destination. she was now walking towards the car with a trolley along with her to load her luggage onto. her eyes were a little sleepy and swollen, a weary look on her face. he clutched the trolley from her fingers and placed her suitcases on it, every second seeming a bit slower as it passed.

a few more minutes, and then came the moment that he feared most. she had collected her boarding pass and was now walking in his direction to bid him a final goodbye. he'd thought a lot for this moment, but he couldn't bring himself to think straight as he stared at her little frame make its way towards him.

there she stood, her eyelids looking up at jungkook who stood there with his arms crossed. she tried to smile a little, but it turned into a painful expression instead. he sighed, putting his hands into the pockets of his coat before starting to speak. "i... didn't want to come and see you off initially," he let out, looking down.

"but then i realized that i may end up regretting not seeing you before you go away." he added, taking a sharp inhale. "it's all gonna change, noona" he looked straight into her eyes making her flinch. "its all going to change now and-" he closed his eyes, his lips separating. "and i won't stop you anymore," he said instead, and she immediately knew he held himself back from speaking out his mind. maybe it was for the best.

"if you really wanted this, then i really do hope you find your happiness there." he tilted his head just a little, forcing a tiny smile on his lips. 

"i..." she bit her lip, shaking her head. it was never like this between them. never had she been so speechless like she was right now because she had no idea what she could say to make this a little less sorry. and that was the first pinch she felt inside of her. her thoughts that were organized until a few hours ago suddenly seemed a little chaotic as she searched for statements to satisfy.

he looked at her, feeling a little guilty for leaving her so voiceless even though he had no fault. sweet spot, indeed, noona. his stiff expression softened a little before he led out his hand in front of her making her rustle. she sniffled, placing all the bags down on the floor before doing their special handshake and squeezing his hand a little tighter at the end.

he turned their palms and entangled his fingers with hers for a second before softly letting it go with a glint in his eyes. "how lucky I am to have someone that makes saying goodbye so hard?" he chuckled humourlessly, shaking his head once with a bitter grin trying not to look at her poignant eyes.

"goodbye, jungkook."

❦

"A man never knows how to say goodbye; a woman never knows when to say it." 

– Helen Rowland