Naeun taps her foot, impatiently waiting for Seokjin to come out of class. She hopes he stole the notebook back.

The memory of Mina's distraught face when she sat beside Taehyung still brought a smile to her face, and she couldn't help but giggle at the thought. While it was entertaining, Naeun still needs to proceed with caution. Mina might just end up leaking everything.

Seokjin finally emerges from the classroom, the sound of shuffling feet and chattering voices filling the hallway.

"I've been waiting for you," Naeun says, her tone slightly annoyed.

"Sorry. Mrs Choi wasn't letting us out until everyone finished the quiz," Seokjin says, zipping his bag up as they walk.

Frustration fills Naeun as she lets out an audible sigh. "So, do you have good news?"

Seokjin, with a shy expression on his face, smiles bashfully.

"No notebook," Naeun grumbles.

Seokjin nods. "Sorry. That girl has it on lock."

"Bitch." Naeun gets her phone out, scrolling through her contacts. "Well, did you at least get Jungkook's contact details?"

Seokjin nods. "Here." He hands his phone to Naeun.

💌

Naeun:

Meet with me after school.

Jungkook frowns. The school was alive with the sounds of chatter and laughter as students hurried to their next class. On his way to his class, he debates over whether he should honour Naeun's request or hang out with Taehyung.

Breaking Jungkook's thoughts, Taehyung catches up to him. "Walking to class without me?" Taehyung nudges Jungkook's shoulder.

"Not anymore."

Taehyung laughs. "I was thinking, maybe we should go to a cafe after school instead of the usual video games." Taehyung clings his arm around Jungkook as they walk. "I'm swamped with assignments. Maybe you can help me?"

Jungkook bites his bottom lip as his nerves get the best of him, but no, he's gotta do what he's gotta do-it's for the greater good. "I, uh, have to help Mum with something. I almost forgot."

Taehyung stops them from walking any further. "Wait, so we're not hanging out after school?"

"Yeah, sorry."

"Can I come?"

Jungkook can feel the hopefulness radiating from Taehyung. He shakes his head. "Don't bother. It's really boring."

"Not if I were there," Taehyung says. "I don't even have work tonight. Our time is precious now." He pouts.

Jungkook doesn't respond. He feels guilty and doesn't know how to turn him down, but Taehyung seems to get the hint.

"Fine." Taehyung sighs. They continue to walk. "Message me when you're done. I actually need your help."

Jungkook nods, a small smile creeping onto his face. "Sure."

💌

"How embarrassing," says a girl from the table behind Jungkook.

Jungkook is sitting alone in a cafe, waiting for Naeun to arrive. She said she'll be here 20 minutes ago and now he's thinking she's playing games on him.

"Are you ready to order?" The waitress asks-this is the second time they've asked.

"Oh... Uh, can I start with a latte?" Jungkook smiles nervously. "Sorry."

The waitress nods curtly, her eyes flickering to the next table. "Don't worry about it," she replies, waving a dismissive hand. "I'll leave the menus with you."

"Thank you." Now he waits again, twiddling his thumbs.

"I think he got stood up," the girl behind Jungkook says.

Jungkook rolls his eyes. Why is this girl being so nosey and why does she even care? Let him be embarrassed in peace.

Anyway, he's locked in here until he finishes his latte-which arrives promptly. He stirs a lump of sugar into the coffee with a teaspoon. He'll be gone in a matter of minutes.

"Oh my god, I'm so sorry, Jungkook." Naeun rushes to the seat across from Jungkook, putting down her bag on the spare seat. "Hey! You ordered without me?"

Jungkook gives Naeun a scornful look. "You're half an hour late. Of course, I'm going to order something." If he didn't, they'd probably kick him out of the cafe.

Naeun sheepishly chuckles. "What's good here?" She looks through the menu.

"Try the pancakes," Jungkook suggests.

Naeun hums in agreement. "Have you tried them?"

"No."

Naeun's face scrunches up. "Why suggest then?"

"So I don't have to wait longer."

"Wow, so thoughtful of you," Naeun says, flipping the menu. "Thanks for coming, though."

Jungkook nods, swirling his latte. "So... What's the do with Mina?"

Naeun shrugs.

"You don't know?" Jungkook's brow furrows in confusion.

"I was hoping you had some ideas." She tries to get the waitress's attention by waving.

"I came here and waited this long for nothing." Jungkook scowls, taking one last sip of his latte. He contemplates leaving.

"Look, I'm sorry." She sighs. "There's this notebook."

"Yeah?"

"Mina has it."

"Doesn't everyone have a notebook?" Jungkook asks. He tries to regulate his mood because he knows he's coming across as a little cranky, but to be fair, he waited half an hour only to hear this.

"This is not just any notebook-where the hell is the waitress?" She turns around to wave down the waitress again; this time, the waitress acknowledges her.

"Okay, so this notebook. What's so special about it?" Jungkook asks.

"It's mine."

Jungkook is about to complain again, but the waitress arrives.

"What can I get for you two?" The waitress asks, pulling out a small notepad.

"She'll have the pancakes," Jungkook says before Naeun can open her mouth.

"Hey! I can order for myself," Naeun protests.

Jungkook snorts. "Oh, sorry. What would you like?"

There's a brief pause before Naeun says, "Pancakes."

This girl. Jungkook is so done.

"And you?" The waitress looks at Jungkook.

"I'll have the same."

The waitress nods, taking the menus.

When she leaves, they continue their talk about the notebook.

"So... The notebook?" Jungkook looks at the time, sighing.

"It's my-"

"Yeah, yeah, it's your notebook. What about it?"

"Let me speak," Naeun snaps. The waitress puts two glasses on the table and some table water. Naeun pours the water for both of them. "It's kind of embarrassing."

"Oh, c'mon," Jungkook groans.

"Fine!" Naeun takes a deep breath before continuing, "iwritepersonalstuffthatpeopleshouldprobablyneverseeandespeciallypeoplelikeyoucannotseeorknowaboutbutimtellingyouthisanyway."

Jungkook blankly looks at Naeun, jaw slacking. "Sorry, what?"

"I said-"

"No. Slowly this time. Please."

Nauen flicks her hair back, and the scent of her shampoo fills the air. A blush creeps up on her cheeks, which Jungkook notices immediately.

"Long story short," Naeun starts, taking another deep breath. "She holds valuable information. Information that no one else should be seeing."

"Which is?"

Naeun groans. "Who cares what's in it?! She's blackmailing you, right? Are you going to work with me or not?"

It's an ultimatum Jungkook painfully knows he has to bend to, but what the hell? Why is she keeping information away from him? "Not until you tell me what's in the notebook."

"I..." Naeun starts but is interrupted by their food arriving.

"Enjoy your meal." The waitress departs with a smile, leaving behind the delicious aroma of the hot food.

"Can we eat first?" Naeun asks.

"You can talk and eat," Jungkook says, already stabbing a knife right through the pancake.

"Fine. I write stuff for future reference," Naeun confesses.

"You what?"

"Shh, not so loud."

"So, this stuff is about?"

"People in our school."

"You write erotica?!" Jungkook chokes.

Naeun throws a napkin at Jungkook. "How the hell did you come to that conclusion?!"

Jungkook tries to wash down the pancake by sipping on his water. "Sorry." He laughs. "I just wanted the girl who is eavesdropping behind us to know."

With an empty drink in hand, the girl squeaks quietly, surprised.

"Anyway, we're doomed," Naeun says. "She pretended to be my friend and snatched it from me the moment I wasn't paying attention."

Jungkook pretends to care. The stupid notebook doesn't matter to him at all. He's all for taking Mina down. He does, however, remember Mina and Naeun giggling over a book one time. "She must have seen you as a threat."

Naeun scoffs. "As she should. She's trying to sabotage the drama production."

"It must grind her gears knowing that you're playing lead with Taehyung," Jungkook points out.

Naeun smirks, pouring the maple syrup over her pancakes. "Does it not grind yours?"

Naeun's words irk Jungkook, but he tries to ignore them. "Why would it?"

"Oh please. I know you like him too." Naeun's gaze stabs into Jungkook's walls. "And to think you went on a double date with Eunji is just-" she stops to laugh. "Laughable."

"You're the one who forced me!" Jungkook's face is perplexed. This bitch wants him to work with her, but he's so close to walking out and letting her deal with the bill.

"I don't remember that," she nonchalantly says.

"Why am I helping you again?"

She ignores him, taking a bite out of her food. "I think we need to find a way to expose her. But the thing is, we need to have solid proof." She puts her cutlery down. "We could frame her and say she's the one who wrote it all. Yes... yes. Great idea, Jungkook."

Jungkook raises a brow.

"That way, she'll have no choice but to drop the blackmail on you." She adds.

Jungkook is confused. "How exactly does that make sense? Doesn't exposing her make her want to leak the photo even more?"

"What photo?" Naeun tilts her head and then gasps.

Jungkook fucked up.

"So she's blackmailing you with a photo?" She twirls her hair with her finger. "Interesting. Can I see the photo?"

"Oh yeah, I'll totally just message Mina now and ask her to send a copy." Jungkook scoffs.

"What's the photo of?"

This is bad. Naeun doesn't need to know any of this. The fewer people who know about this, the better. Telling Naeun will only lead to disaster. Who knows what this girl could do with this information?

"It's irrelevant. Moving on." Jungkook will keep his mouth tight-lipped on the subject. So instead, he proposes an idea. "The only way we can break Mina is to make Taehyung change his opinion of her. I don't think she cares about her school reputation."

"Or we could make Mina bored with Taehyung?" Naeun suggests.

"How?"

"Make him seem unattractive."

Jungkook suppresses a chuckle at the thought. "How is that even possible?"

Naeun snorts. "Maybe not for you."

Jungkook blushes. "Shut up."

"You're the one who said it."

"We're doomed," Jungkook cries out.

Naeun nods in agreement. "Time to resign from life."

Jungkook pushes his plate forward. "I don't even have an appetite."

"Wait, maybe we can change her heart?" Naeun pushes the plate back to Jungkook. "Maybe you can make her fall for you instead. That way, she won't blackmail you, and you'll be close enough to her that you can snatch the notebook back."

Jungkook laughs hysterically. "Me?!" He laughs more. "I'll just sweep her off her feet. She won't know what hit her. The hottest guy in school has nothing on me."

Jungkook stops laughing when he hears an eerily familiar voice at the door.

"Tae, look over there!"

Jungkook looks at the two figures entering the cafe then exchanges a panicked look with Naeun, who says, "No fucking way."

💌