Jimin had been avoiding her.

There was no other explanation. She hadn't seen or heard from him in two weeks. He was gone before she woke up and didn't come home until very late.

Sometimes he didn't come home at all.

She missed him terribly. Of all the brothers, Jimin was the one that spent most amount of time with her. And ever since the dinner she hadn't heard so much as a peep from him.

She'd never had a best friend before. Her father had prohibited any and all relations under the fear that she might reveal his identity. He was a US Congressman after all and she was his illegitimate daughter. But she had a few friends at Uni. However, no-one was ever close enough to be called a best friend. Until she had met Jimin and Tae.

Even Jungkook was avoiding her but that felt more like a blessing. After their make out session in the kitchen that night, he seemed to want to avoid any form of contact with her, which was fine by her.

He avoided any direct contact with her but at least she saw him around the house occasionally. That was a lot more than Jimin, who she actually wanted to see and talk to more than she wanted her next breath.

She had tried staying up late at night a few times. She would sit on the living room sofa waiting for him to come home but would eventually fall asleep and then somehow wake up in her own bed. She wondered who had been carrying her to bed, two stories up without waking her.

She had even tried waking up early to catch him before he left. But she didn't own an alarm clock so it was difficult. She would leave her curtains open and sleep in a position where the first rays of the sun would hit her eyes. It worked a few times but for most of those times Jimin hadn't come home.

Only once had she almost caught him. She had woken up at the break of dawn, rushing out of her room and down the stairs. When she had heard the front door closing, she had run down the stairs as if her life depended on it, running with all her might, out the front door, screaming his name, only to watch him drive away in his car.

That was over a week ago. She hadn't been able to catch a single glimpse of him since. She felt restless and lonely. It was affecting her mood, her music and even her cooking.

She was cooking breakfast for Jin when Jungkook came in. He almost walked back out but she turned around and looked at him so he stopped awkwardly.

"The tea is still hot if you want some." She pointed at the teapot on the island.

"Uhm.... Ok. Thanks." He picked up one of the clean cups and poured himself some tea. He took a small sip and brightened immediately "Kombucha?" he asked.

She shrugged.

"It's my favourite!" he said happily.

"I know" she muttered under her breath.
Jin had been around earlier and told her it was Jungkook's favourite tea. It had been sold out in their local market so Jin had ordered it online.

"Thank you. Wow" he said closing his eyes and taking another sip.

She simply turned back to her cooking. "Would you like some breakfast too?"

"No. I had dinner late last night."

"OK then." She continued making breakfast for Jin.

"I would like your help with something else though, if you don't mind?" he spoke quietly.

"What?" she asked turning around again.

"I need your help with Bam." He said sheepishly.

"What?" she asked again stupidly, unable to believe they were actually having a normal conversation.

"Jimin has Bam locked up in one of the unused stables. He wanted Bam to be trained. A trainer has been coming for 2 weeks now." Jungkook had gotten off his chair and walked over to her.

She stared up at him, waiting for him to elaborate.

"I need you to come with me and get acquainted with Bam so I can let him out." He said his eyes boring down into hers.

She gulped. The movement brought his eyes to her throat. His gaze lingered there for a moment before traveling up to her mouth. He licked his lips, his eyes darkening.

"Uh... No. I don't think so." She managed shaking her head. She turned back around and turned off the stove so she wouldn't burn the French toast she was cooking, hoping he would give up and leave.

But this was Jungkook. Duh! Stupid of her to think he would let it go so easily, she thought.

He moved closer, leaning his hands on the counter on either side of her. So close that her back was pressed into his muscled chest.

"Please?" he whispered into her ear and she all but melted.

"Fine" her voice a breathy whisper.

"God, you're killing me, Sua. Five minutes in your company and I'm already dying to touch you again." He chuckled. "It's no wonder you were in such high demand."

"Wh-what?" she stammered.

She agonized as his arms wound around her waist and he snuggled his face in the crook of her neck, sniffing. "Ah! You smell good enough to eat."

A sound of a door slamming somewhere in the house had them jumping apart. Sua turned to flee again but he caught her arm.

"Oh, no you don't. Don't you dare run from me again."

"I wasn't running. I'm elegantly walking away." She said defiantly as she moved away from him.

"We are going to see Bam. You agreed already or are you going to go back on your word?" he challenged.

"I have to take this breakfast to Jin Oppa." She said pulling out a plate from the cupboard.

"Sure. I can wait." He shrugged.

Sua plated the French toast, poured a cup of coffee she had brewed earlier and took both with her to the office without a backward glance. Her knees were still a little wobbly though. That man was driving her crazy.

She knocked and opened the office door "Oppa?" she called as she entered.

Jin was on a call but motioned her to come in with his hand. She came in and quietly laid the plate and mug on the table.

Jin ended his call. "Oh, you're spoiling me Sua" he said pulling the plate towards himself.

"I barely do anything Jin-Oppa. You have all done so much for me." She said in a small voice.

Jin looked at her "Still haven't spoken to him, huh?" he asked.

She shook her head.

"He'll come around Sua, just give him some time."

"Okay. If you talk to him, tell him I'm waiting for him, will you?" she asked with tears in her eyes.

Jin came around and hugged her "Of course my dear. Don't let it bother you too much. None of this is your fault, ok?"

She nodded. It was her fault though. She had acted on her most carnal desire for someone who had made it quite clear that he hated her and in doing so, she had hurt the person who had shown her true kindness and had patiently nursed her back to health. Guilt assaulted her. She walked back to the kitchen in a daze almost bumping into Jungkook.

He caught her before she fell back. "You just can't keep your hands off me, can you?" He smirked.

Right. Because that's the kind of person she was, she thought. Her tears flowing freely now.

"Yah!" Jungkook was surprised to see her tears. She never cried. She gave back as good as she got from him. That's why it was so much fun pushing her buttons. Had he gone too far though? He wondered panicking. If any of his brothers came in and saw her in this state, he would never hear the end of it.

"Come on." He said softly, gently pulling her out through the screen door with him.

They walked around quietly for a while, her occasional sniffles were the only signs of her distress. It made him uncomfortable. He didn't want to be the one comforting her. Maybe he should call Taehyung and hand her over so he could go back to hating her in peace.

"Do you want me to call Taehyung?" he asked

"Why?" she looked puzzled.

"To talk? You obviously won't talk to me. Maybe talking to him will make you feel better?"

"I'm fine. I don't want to bother anyone." She sniffled again.

"Just me then?" he muttered.

"Yah! No one asked you to." She said, her eyes spitting fire.

Ah! There she is. His vixen, he thought looking into her eyes. His? Where had that come from? She wasn't his. He shook his head to clear it. He needed a distraction.

"Well, if you're fine, we could go see Bam?" he enquired.

"If he jumps at me again, I swear to God Kookie....." she rounded on him pointing a finger at his chest.

"Kookie?" he asked tilting his head to one side and smirking.

"Sorry. That kind of just slipped out." She looked away.

"Slipped out, huh? Is that how think of me then, Kookie?" he grinned.

His bunny smile was so adorable she almost smiled back but managed to hold it in time. He really did look like a Kookie when he smiled like that. She wished he would smile at her more often, it made his face look even more beautiful.

But he couldn't know that.

"No I don't. Actually I don't think of you at all. It's how the others refer to you as. So it just stuck with me, I guess." She shrugged.

"You keep telling yourself that, Jaagiya. I know how many hot dreams of yours I have been starring in lately." He smirked making his lip piercing glint playfully.

She wanted to punch something. No, she wanted to punch him. But they had already reached the stables and Jungkook was opening the door for her. She had to swallow her anger.

"Now Sua, Bam is a good boy." He insisted "I don't know why he's been acting like that around you. Maybe he picked up on something about you that we didn't." he mocked giving her a sidelong glance.

"Yah! If you're going to continue to insult me like this, I'm going back to the house." She said turning away.

He caught her wrist. The contact sent her heart racing.

"Bam can't remain indoors for so long Sua, it will drive him insane. Stay behind me and I will guide you."

"Fine then stop picking on me and lead the way." She gestured ahead.

Jungkook kept a firm hold on her wrist and she tagged along behind him. They walked along the line of empty stalls until they reached the last one. Bam was already on his feet, wagging his tail at the sight of Jungkook.

"Hey boy! You good?" Jungkook bent and scratched Bam's ears with his free hand.

But Bam had caught sent of her. He growled exposing his sharp teeth.

"Yah! What is it about you?" Jungkook whined looking at Sua.

Bam's growls grew louder and he struggled against the leash holding him back. Sua started moving back, pulling her hand from Jungkook's but he only tightened his grip.

"BAM!" He said in an authoritative voice "Stay!"

Bam stopped struggling immediately but continued to growl at Sua. Jungkook knelt in front of Bam and slightly pulled Sua forward. He brought her hand up to his own face and sniffed, his eyes not leaving Bam as he placed a soft kiss on her wrist. She trembled slightly.

"Trust me Sua. I won't let him hurt you." He said still looking at Bam.

"Hey Bam. This is Sua. She's a friend. See?" He said kissing her hand again and moving it slowly towards Bam whose growls got louder.

Jungkook sighed and hung his head. Seeing his master turn his gaze away, Bam rose again quickly and snapped his jaws at Sua who screamed and fell back.

Before Jungkook could react she got up and ran out of the stable.

"Sua-ya!! Wait! Please." Jungkook ran after her. She ignored him and kept running.

Jungkook caught her by the waist and she screamed again. They tumbled and rolled until she was lying on top of him breathing heavily.

He looked up at her, his big doe eyes full of lust and longing. She was firmly pressed into his groin and he could feel himself getting hard. She squirmed. A pained moan escaped his lips and she stiffened.

"No!" she said rising quickly and running away again.

Jungkook sat up looking at her running away and sighed. That girl was slowly driving him mad. His hands were shaking slightly. What the hell? Just a look, a sigh or a touch from her and he was already sporting a raging hard on like some horny teenager.

He got off the ground and dusted himself. Time for another cold shower, he thought. He just hoped that by the time they resolved this tension between them, his little kookie hadn't frozen and fallen off.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

She had been moody and low for the rest of the day.

She had been sitting quietly in the garden for hours, watching the sun go down over the horizon, not wanting to talk to anyone.

She was trying to resolve things with Jimin but the way things were going with Jungkook, she would never get Jimin to believe that nothing is going on between them.

She had been to Jimin's room yesterday to pick up his laundry. In an impulsive moment, Sua had pulled out a piece of paper from his desk and written

"I miss you"

She had placed it on his nightstand where it would be easily visible to him. Hoping and praying all night that he would see it and come to her.

But he hadn't come.

She had rushed to his room this morning and found the note, still on the nightstand. It had the look of a paper that was crumpled and straightened again. She had turned it over hoping to find a message for her on the back but there was nothing. Her heart had ached with disappointment.

And when Jungkook had joked that she couldn't keep her hands off him, she had broken down because he didn't know how right he had been. She really couldn't keep her hands off him and hated herself for it.

Even though Jimin had been hurting that night, she had been kissing Jungkook in the kitchen.

She was a terrible person.

"Sua-ya?" Hobi called breaking into her inner monologue.

She didn't respond.

"Yah! Are you still moping around? I can't see you like this anymore. Come on let's go inside, it's getting dark." He urged grabbing her wrist and pulling her up.

"No. I'm fine. I just want to be by myself for a while. Please Hobi?"

"No." He said stubbornly. "You are coming in with me." He started to lift her but she brushed him off.

"I can walk." She muttered giving in.

"Ok. Are you hungry? Should I make something for you?" he asked kindly.

"There's rice and banchan in the kitchen and some kimchi in the fridge for you guys." She answered.

"Let's go eat then"

"I'm not hungry." She said glumly.

"Sua" he warned.

"I just want to go to bed Hobi." She said turning away from him and heading up the stairs.

She lay down on the bed staring at the ceiling. She missed Jimin terribly. She had screwed up the best thing that had ever happened to her. Tears filled her eyes and blurred her vision.

A soft knock sounded on her door. She ignored it.

Another knock.

"Sua?" Tae called

"Tae?" she called back.

He slowly opened the door and entered with a tray in hand. "I've got some soup."

"Is it edible?" she joked through her tears. Tae was a bad cook. He could burn water, given the chance.

"Yah!" he admonished.

She chuckled and then her face crumpled.

"Yeobo." He moaned leaving the tray on the dresser and hugging her. "You need to stop crying. Jimin's being petty and childish. He misses you too you know?"

"Does he?" She looked up at him with her eyes still glistening with unshed tears.

"Of course he does, silly. He's been working hard just to distract himself. I have known him for almost my whole life. Trust me I know."

"Did he say anything to you though?"

"No he wouldn't talk about it. I tried." Tae sighed.

"Usually with girls, Jimin's so fast it would've made your head spin" Tae laughed. "But with you, he's been different. He was waiting I guess. At first I thought you two would get together because you seemed completely whipped by him, but now that I've seen you with Kookie, Jiminie doesn't stand a chance, does he?" He looked at her from underneath his lashes.

"Me and Jungkook..." she began, pausing to find the right words "We're nothing. He hates me." She hung her head.

"But he can't keep his eyes or his hands off you and neither can you keep yours off him." He shrugged.

Her eyes filled again "Am I that obvious? No wonder Jimin hates me."

"It's ok Sua. Don't beat yourself up. You are allowed to feel however you want for whoever you want. You actually don't owe Jimin anything. If his feelings were that strong, he should have confessed to you and taken things further, when he had the chance. It's too late now." He pulled her towards the bed, made her sit down and knelt at her feet.

"If it were anyone else other than our Jungkook-ah, they would have backed away but Jungkook..." He paused, holding her hands in both of his. "When he wants something, he goes at it with a single minded focus which is very difficult to resist. And it's very obvious that he wants you Sua"

"B-but he h-hates me Tae-Tae" she stammered.

"No he doesn't. No one could hate you Sua. Beautiful, warm and loving as you are." He cupped her face in his hands "Jimin is an idiot and so is Jungkook if they can't appreciate what a catch you are."

She smiled tearfully. "You are too kind Tae"

"No. Just honest" he smiled. "Let's get some food into you now, ok?" He said getting up to bring the tray of food.

Sua groaned.

"Come on, I made Jin Hyung stop work and make soup for you." Tae said while placing the tray in front of her.

Sua took a small sip. It was very tasty as expected. Jin was an excellent cook. She sighed.

"Do you need anything else?" He asked.

"Would you stay with me? Please?" she pleaded.

"Well..." he saw her mouth turn downward. "Ok yes. I'll stay." He got onto the other side of the bed.

"Tell me about your family Tae." Sua prodded. But Taehyung's face fell and she immediately regretted her words.

"This is my family." He said simply. "I've never known anything else. I was an orphan. I lived in an orphanage until I was nine."

Sua's eyes had turned into saucers and she had stopped eating.

Tae chuckled at the look on her face. "You eat and I will talk." He promised.

Sua took a sip and looked at him expectantly.

"I never knew my parents. I grew up in an orphanage in Seoul. It wasn't a very good place. The people there – the things they did." He closed his eyes and shook his head unable to continue.

"It's alright Tae-Tae we don't have to talk about it." She said laying her hand on his in comfort.

"No its ok. I want to." He assured her. "That's what gives me the nightmares you know. I lost a lot of friends there. I couldn't take it after a while and one evening when the matron was busy I ran away. I hid behind a small grocery store, surviving on scraps for days before this old couple found me and took me home with them. It was a farm and I loved it there. The couple had no children of their own and took in all the children who were willing to work. They fed me clothed me and I helped them on the farm. As time went by the place turned into a halfway house for boys who were involved in petty crimes. Namjoon Hyung and Yoongi Hyung were the first ones to come in. They were underground rappers but part of a gang too. Complete delinquents." He chuckled. "But when I first saw them, I thought they were so damn cool. With their tattoos and piercings and ripped jeans."

Sua was completely engrossed in the story, forgetting to eat again.

"I wont say anything more until you finish the soup. It's probably already gone cold already. Should I reheat it for you?" he asked reaching for the bowl.

"No! I'm eating. See?" she took a few quick sips. "Tell me more" she urged.

"Well... Joonie Hyung and Yoongi hyung were amazing at rap. They had even written a lot of their own songs and we would beg them for a performance whenever possible. Next one to come was Hobi Hyung. He was just overall bright and sweet and an excellent dancer. He could rap too so he immediately got along well with the other two. I was much younger than them so they didn't really pay me much notice."

"Then how did you guys come together?" she asked curious to know more.

"Well, Mrs. Kim – Jin Hyung's mom - was good friends with the couple who started the house. When she heard of the kids, she decided to come in and teach music a few times a week. Jin Hyung would also come with her sometimes. He got along very well with the others. Then this one time they were all out for some drinks and this little boy with big doe eyes was being bullied on the street. Another runaway. One look at him and Jin Hyung had interfered in the fight. Then of course the others had to join him. They brought the boy to the farm with them that night. He was scared and shy. He bunked with me and hugged me in his sleep. That was the first night I ever slept soundly through the night without any nightmares. He became my best friend." He smiled fondly at the memory.

"Jungkook" Sua said softly and Tae nodded.

"Jungkook adored the hyungs. Followed them everywhere like a puppy. Everyone thought he was in love with Joonie hyung, the way he stared at him all the time." He sniggered. "And when Mrs. Kim asked him to sing during one of her sessions, he left everyone mesmerized with his voice."

Sua nodded. She could imagine little Jungkookie wowing everyone with his beautiful voice.

"When Jungkook tagged behind them, he always dragged me with him. Not that I minded of course, I looked up to them."

"What about Jimin?"

"Jimin was a surprise to be honest. At first he seemed like a timid little boy. He was also in my orphanage, you know, just for a few years though when we were little. We had been friends. He was adopted early on so we lost touch. But the people who adopted him abandoned him later. He was shy and quiet. But once he started dancing with Hobi hyung he became a completely different person. He didn't know he could sing though. He learned from Mrs. Kim." Tae explained.

"He has the most beautiful voice. Angelic almost.' She smiled.

"He does." Tae smiled. "He's a very pure soul. Very kind, very loving and very caring. He's this ball of light and energy. Just being in his company can make you feel happy and content."

"Angel. That's what I think of him as. My personal Angel." Sua said lovingly, remembering the way she had felt when she had first woken up in the infirmary and seen him.

Tae chuckled remembering how she had said Cheon-sa when she woke up and saw him.

"I really thought I had died and woken up in heaven. I was relieved to be honest. But when everything hurt, I realized I was probably still alive." Sua said.

"Relieved to think you were dead?" Tae asked.

"Yeah well, I had nothing to live for until now Tae-Tae. I lived a very sheltered life. Always surrounded by staff my father had hired. I never knew my mother, she died while giving birth to me. I was always alone, never knew love or companionship. Never had many friends or siblings. Nothing to live for." She smiled sadly. She silently debated in her mind about whether or not she should tell him that she was American. Maybe not right now, she decided.

"You have us now" Tae said putting an arm around her.

"Yes I do and you are everything to live for, Tae-Tae." She snuggled against his chest.

"How did you end up in the alley where Yoongi hyung found you?" Tae enquired.

"I was kidnapped and held for ransom in Busan and then when my father refused to pay, I was sold to traffickers. A friend helped me escape. She died trying to get me out." She sniffed, her tears rolling down her face again as she remembered Song-i's final moments.

"Ah! I'm sorry." Tae kissed the top of her head.

"I'm so thankful to her. If she hadn't gotten me out I would never have come here. Never known how beautiful life can be." She sniffed and rubbed her nose on the sleeve of her hoodie.

"I'm thankful to her too for bringing you to me." He said softly. "You should sleep now." He picked up the tray and rose from the bed.

"I'm going to go down and wait for Jimin-ah" she said getting off the bed too.

"Just to have Jungkookie carry you back to bed?" Tae winked at her.

"W-WHAT?" She screamed.

"Oh! I thought you knew. Jungkook-ah has been carrying you back to bed." Taehyung replied.

"Why?" she asked.

"Well you have been sleeping on the sofa Sweetie. He found you a couple of times. A few other times, I asked him to. He's stronger than me. I wouldn't be able to carry you up two floors." He looked guilty.

She sighed. "Well he doesn't need to do that. I plan to stay awake tonight."

"You really shouldn't but I already know I'm wasting my breath." Tae said shaking his head in defeat.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jungkook had been working in Jin hyung's office until almost 2 am, doing research. He should head to bed now, he thought stretching his sore muscles. He walked into the living room and stopped when he saw Sua asleep on the sofa again. He sighed. She just wouldn't give up.

The girl was crazy. He moved closer to her. She was sound asleep. She was sleeping on her side with her hands curled into tiny fists which were tucked under her chin. Her eyes were closed and her lashes fluttered on her cheeks. She looked unbearably cute, he thought. He placed a soft kiss on her forehead before he could resist. She smelled delectable as always. A feeling of raw hunger swept through him that had him backing away instantly. Just being close to her made him horny. She was sleeping for god's sake and he was being a pervert. Should he just leave her here? He wondered. No, he couldn't do that. It was pretty chilly tonight and she didn't have much on other than her sweatpants and a light t-shirt.

He bent down to slide his hands underneath her when Sua muttered in her sleep.

"Song-i" she whispered.

No!! His entire body recoiled from her. No, she couldn't have said that. Maybe he had heard it wrong.

He bent down to her again with trepidation, his ears strained to hear the slightest sound coming from her. Her breathing was laboured, short broken gasps. She was definitely having a nightmare. Sua jerked and cried out again "Song-i" 

Jungkook fell back in shock. He couldn't understand how Sua knew about Song-i. Did she have something to do with her disappearance? Red hot rage replaced his shock, he roughly grabbed her shoulders and shook her.

Sua awoke to someone grabbing her arms and shaking her. She opened her eyes and looked at Jungkook. His eyes were black and filled with rage.

"What the hell did you just say???" He screamed.

"What happened?" Sua asked groggily, terrified of the way he was acting.

"How do you know that name?? Do you know her?? Do you know where she is??" He screamed again.

"I don't know what you're saying?" She shuddered not able to comprehend what was going on.

Jungkook seemed to go mad in his blind rage. His hands left her arms and closed against her throat.

He squeezed.

"Tell me where she is. Tell me what you have done to her." His voice was murderously cold.

Sua sputtered. She couldn't breathe. Her hands were futile in trying to loosen his grip on her throat. She struggled, her eyes watering.

"Tell Me!!" He screamed again.

Sua heard doors opening in the distance and prayed someone would come stop him. Her vision had started to blur.

He squeezed again, cutting off her air supply entirely this time.

"Let go of her" a sweet musical voice laced with cold fury spoke from behind her.

Jimin.

She wished she could see him one last time as the darkness engulfed her.

~~~~~~~~~~~*~~~~~~~~~~~~~*~~~~~~~~~~

A/n: Woah another long chapter. 5220 words!!

So...... Who do you think Song-i is to Jungkook?? Bring on your theories.

Vote vote vote. Hit the star people go on... its right there at the bottom.

Translations:
Kombucha: A korean tea which can be made with different flavours and spices. Lemon is JK's favourite.
Jaagiya: Baby
Banchan: Korean side dishes like seasoned vegetables and greens or fishcakes, usually served with rice.
Kimchi: Traditional side dish of fermented salted vegetables usually cabbage.
Yeobo: Honey

P.S. : I had a few of the readers - who know me personally - telling me that it's unsettling to see Sua call Jin, Oppa, flirt with Jimin and then makeout with Jungkook.  So here's a clarification:
1. Oppa is a term used by females to address an older male. It can be used to address an older brother OR an older boyfriend. In this case, the earlier chapters have already referenced Sua thinking of Jin as her brother. Since he's the oldest, she calls him Jin Oppa.
2. Sua hasn't been flirting with Jimin. It is the other way around actually. Yes she was smitten by him - but come on, who wouldn't be? Have you seen Jimin?
3. Yes she's making out with Jungkook. Didn't you feel the sizzling tension between them? The chemistry? Plus its a JJK fanfic so 🤷🏻‍♀️

Tell me your thoughts 💭

Love,
Writeria29
18.03.2023