He's Dangerous

I scowled at the words on my screen, unable to imagine a single scenario that would make Nari believe Seokjin was dangerous. Sure, I found myself wondering if Jin could be the one messing with me, perhaps determined enough to obsess over getting me back somehow. But never had I thought that he'd be aggressive or threatening in the way Nari was making it seem.

I swiftly replied to her messages.

Nariberry

Active 2m ago

Hey, I need to talk
to you about Seokjin

Do you still talk to him?

You need to stay away from Jin

He's dangerous

What do you mean..?

Why is he dangerous?

"Who's Nariberry?" Jungkook's gentle breath was suddenly sweeping over my shoulder and collarbone, giving rise to goosebumps on the skin, the unexpectedness of it causing me to jerk away.

"Nobody. Why are you being nosy?" I questioned as I stood from the bed.

He shrugged. "Didn't realize you had something to hide." Despite his act of nonchalance, the suspicion behind his brown eyes was hard to miss.

"I don't. I just don't think it's polite to peek at someone's screen," I countered.

"Apologies, m'lady." He gave a slight bow of his head, voice laced with a mocking undertone.

I narrowed my eyes. He knew just how to push my buttons with his teasing.

"I'm ready," Jimin announced, slinging his red backpack over his shoulder.

"So soon? Why don't you guys stay for a while?" Jungkook proposed, standing from the bed.

"Maybe another time. Jangmi and I have plans tonight," Jimin replied quickly.

"Plans?" the raven-haired male furrowed his brows, angling his chin up slightly as he peered at me.

"Yes. Plans that don't involve you," I said.

"Ouch." Jungkook clutched his chest as if he was in pain, though his lips were stretched into an amused grin. "Now who's lacking manners? You'll have to invite me to your next 'plans' to make up for it, don't you think?"

"Considering you were impolite too, I think that leaves us on equal ground now. So I don't owe you anything," I responded, to which he laughed. Not giving him a chance to hold my attention any longer, I made my way to the door and opened it.

"See ya, Red," were his last words before Jimin and I exited.

"What is with him? He's always trying to get under my skin somehow," I muttered under my breath, frazzled by how easily he'd called me yet another nickname. I remembered how he'd used Cupcake before, then after Jimin had protested, he toyed with two other options based on red velvet. It seemed he had finally decided on Red, and I hadn't the slightest idea of how to feel about it.

Should I be uncomfortable? Suspicious? Flattered?

I couldn't tell if I felt all or none.

"He's flirting," Jimin chuckled as we walked down the hallway.

"I refuse to believe that's his idea of flirting," I shook my head. "If it is, he has a lot to learn."

"I told you, he's a bit weird. He just has fewer boundaries than we're used to. Other than that, he's a pretty good friend."

"I guess I don't know him enough to make a judgment yet," I admitted, recalling the moments when Jungkook had been rather nice to me. When we'd first met in class, for example, he'd promised to help me do well. He seemed determined to be a good and supportive partner to me.

"He mentioned Nari. Did you hear back from her?" Jimin's question drew me back to the present where we were exiting the dorm building.

"Yes," I answered vaguely. Remembering how Seokjin had so easily appeared behind me when we were getting dinner, I decided to wait until we were behind closed doors to elaborate. "I'll show you when we get back."

Our shoes tapped against the sidewalk as we headed to the girls' dorms. The way the campus seemed to always lose life after sunset left me with an eerie feeling in my bones. It was not a tranquil quietness but a troubling silence.

Much to my relief, we made it back to my room without crossing anyone else's path. Jimin didn't hesitate to throw his backpack into the corner and immediately dive onto my bed, planting his face into the sheets.

"So comfy," his smothered voice spoke into the mattress.

I snickered at his antics before joining him, laying down on my back beside him. As he flipped over onto his back as well, I raised a hand and placed it underneath my head. The ceiling stared back at me blankly, that pristine white sparking inexplicable envy in me. Oh, how I wished to have a clean canvas so I could start afresh.

"I never told you exactly what happened between Jin and me," I began, my gaze never wavering from the ceiling. "There's a lot that I just never wanted to say out loud, and by the time I finally was ready to talk about it, I'd already let you believe that it was just a mutual breakup for so long. I didn't know how to go about telling you the full story."

Jimin was silent for a few seconds. I could see his chest slowly rise and fall in my periphery as he, too, stared above. Finally, he said, "I understand. Of course, I wish you had told me the full story before, but I know that certain things are hard to say to anyone, no matter how close they are to you. What's important is that you have a chance to tell me now."

"Thanks, Jimin." It took a few moments for me to formulate a way to explain the story between Seokjin and me.

He already knew our beginning - how we'd become friends for a few months before he asked me out. How I had been a sophomore at the time and he a senior. How we continued dating even after he graduated, even as he attended the university we presently found ourselves in. He already knew how we had made it work for the next year.

What he didn't know, however, was why we broke up just as I became a senior.

So I told him, beginning with the night Jin met me at my house for a movie date. Though I didn't mention every detail to Jimin, in my head, not a thing was missing. Every color was vivid behind my eyelids, every sound echoed in my ears with clarity. It was like I'd traveled back in time to relive the painful memory.

"You're going to spill that all over my bed like you always do, dimwit!" I exclaimed, reaching out to try to take the large bowl of popcorn from him.

He grinned and swiftly raised the bowl above his head and out of my reach, the movement sending a bunch of popcorn to the floor. Upon seeing my glare, he laughed."You're the one who made me spill it!"

"I am not!" I reached up in desperation, my fingers just touching the bottom of the bowl, then suddenly he brought it back down and hid it behind his back. Letting out a huff of annoyance, I raised an eyebrow at him impatiently.

"Say the magic word," he teased, a sly smile painting his scarlet lips.

Instinctively, I stepped forward and snaked my arms around his waist, gently pressing my chest flush with his. While his eyes darkened from the distraction, I leaned up on my toes to bring my mouth level with his. Seeing how his dark lashes fluttered as he stared at my lips, I slowly moved forward until my nose was brushing his. Then, assured that his guard had fully dropped, I reached my hand out to grab the bowl from him and pulled away, laughing victoriously as I stuffed a handful of popcorn into my mouth.

"Playing dirty, I see," Jin said, narrowing his eyes playfully.

"Oh, no. No," I warned, knowing that look on his face all too well.

He slowly took a step forward, and I took one backward in response. With every inch he tried to gain, I took another away. Then he took one final step, sealing my fate as my back met the wall. A smirk fell on his face, not only gracing his mouth but also reaching his eyes, that maddening confidence radiating from him in waves.

"That wasn't very nice, Mi. You teased me," he tsked, "and now I have to tease you back."

I pursed my lips, trying not to outwardly show the butterflies twirling in my core and the beats drumming in my chest.

"You're the one who teased first," I replied as he grew nearer, his hand lifting to rest on the wall beside my head. The faint scent of his orange blossom cologne wafted all around me, invading my senses in the most pleasant way.

"Hmm, you're right. Then I won't do any teasing." And with that, he began leaning closer, his stunning features leaving me breathless as they had since the day we first met. My eyes drifted closed just as his lips found mine, brushing over them sweetly. He paused, leaving just enough space for the two of us to share a breath, then his mouth was on mine again, more passionately than before.

As our lips worked together more urgently, the bowl slipped from my grasp. Popcorn was surely littered all around our feet but we were too absorbed in each other to notice. His plush lips captured mine perfectly, his kisses tender yet firm. He had always been gentle despite his confidence, and I loved it.

Jin pulled away promptly and before I could regain even a hint of composure, he was lifting me into his arms and then setting me down on the bed. I watched with an eagerly awaiting heart as he climbed over me and propped himself above me with his hands at either side of my head. His broad shoulders filled my vision, and my eyes slowly trailed over to his low-hanging collar which revealed the curves of his chest. I took in the light bronze of his skin, following his neck, over his Adam's apple, making my way to his soft jawline. I was just beginning to admire those plump lips of his when I realized they were stretching wide in amusement. His teeth were on display, and then I finally caught sight of his dancing irises, veiled beneath a single strand of black hair.

"I know I'm eye candy, darling, but you should really learn to control your drool better," he commented, letting out a small chuckle before planting a kiss on my forehead.

I rolled my eyes and pushed against his chest, getting him to lay at my side.

"Help me clean up the popcorn and then we can start the movie."

We quickly picked up every piece of popcorn, occasionally throwing a few at each other. Soon, the floor was clean and we returned to the bed where I immediately wrapped my arms around him and rested my head on his chest. Jin turned the TV on and easily scrolled through Netflix until he found the movie we'd agreed to watch. Once it began playing, his arms were around me, fingertips tracing the skin on my upper arm.

Three-quarters of the way through the film, Jin's phone dinged. As it was laying beside us on the mattress, I grabbed it to hand it to him, only to find that he had dozed off.

My world came to an abrupt halt, all due to a single glance.

New message from Nari:

I don't understand why you are still with her. You proved your point, ok? This has gone on long enough. Stop...

I quickly unlocked his phone, needing to see what the rest of the message said.

Nari

How's your little plaything?

Don't call her that

Why not? It's true isn't it?

She's just your latest obsession

Don't pretend that you care for her.

Maybe I do

You and I both know she's just my replacement

That was your choice, not mine.

And it's not like that anymore

I don't understand why you are still with her. You proved your point, ok? This has gone on long enough. Stop dragging her along bc it's only going to hurt her more the longer you wait

"Mi?" Seokjin stirred from his sleep, raising his head to look at me.

I sat up and turned to look at him with tears flooding my vision. "What is this? Why is she calling me your plaything? Her replacement?"

He froze, eyes growing wide in panicked realization as he saw the conversation that was pulled up on his screen. He quickly sat up and reached out for me, but I stood from the bed, taking a step away.

"Wait, wait. Listen, okay?" he began pleading desperately, standing in front of me. "She's just jealous, alright? She's saying those things because she doesn't like that we're togeth-"

"Don't you dare lie to me right now, Seokjin! I saw what you replied to her. You never argued that I'm her replacement. You said that it was her choice, you said it's not like that anymore," my voice wavered, though I was trying to remain calm. "Tell me the truth."

He paused, his brows pulled together and a frown set on his lips as he tried to figure out what to say. His eyes were brimming with fear, anger, sadness. I could see he was terrified of my reaction, but he also seemed so frustrated that he'd been caught.

"She... after we broke up, she didn't believe that I could move on from her. She told me I would never be able to stay with another girl because I was too hung up on her. I told her she was wrong, and she made me so angry. She just never left me alone about it, and she said she would only believe it when she would see it for herself."

My chest mercilessly throbbed in pain as I responded, "So you got together with me to prove a point to her. You used me to show her that you could move on." My voice cracked as I turned my head away, blinking back tears. When I could see clearly again, I returned my gaze to him. "Our whole relationship was a lie. You were never with me for me. You were with me for her."

"No, that's not true," he shook his head, growing more panicked as he took a step closer. I stood my ground, locking my jaw as he continued to search for excuses,"It may have started out as a way to prove something to her, but why do you think I'm still with you after more than a year? I fell for you."

I scoffed bitterly. "Our entire relationship is founded on a lie and you expect me to believe that you truly care about me now? Tell me, Jin, if Nari wanted to be with you, would you choose her over me?"

His face told me all I needed to know. He didn't even try to come up with an answer.

"Get out."

My words rang in the air, filled with restrained fury that snuffed out the heartbreak which was buried within. Anger was far easier to feel than anguish.

"What? Jangmi, please, just let me explain-" he reached out and grabbed my shoulders, clinging to me hopelessly.

I tore away from his grasp. "I said get out! Now!" I shouted, moving so that he had a clear path to the door.

His chest heaved with rapid breaths, watery eyes staring into mine with indescribable emotion. I recognized regret, but all else mixed together like raging waters and storm clouds.

"Don't do this. I need you," he pleaded, refusing to move.

I set my gaze on him fiercely, refusing to give. "I deserve better. I'm not going to ask again, Jin. Please leave."

So he did.

I shut the door behind him, immediately leaning my back against it. My legs suddenly lost all their strength, knees buckling as I slid down to the floor.

I lost track of the seconds, minutes, hours that passed while I cried for the loss of my first love.

"That was the last time I saw him until I came here. He tried texting me multiple times after that night. He was always apologizing and trying to convince me to meet him. It took a long time for him to accept that I wouldn't take him back," I explained.

Jimin squeezed the hand that I hadn't realized he was holding. I finally turned my head to look at him, finding him already staring back at me.

"I'm sorry. I had no idea that he hurt you like that." His brows were furrowed just slightly, displaying the sympathy he felt for me.

"It's my fault for not telling you. I just never wanted to say it out loud. I wanted to pretend it didn't happen," I replied. "Nari tried to message me after she found out. She was trying to say that I was better off without him, but I was too angry at her for being involved with what Jin did. That's when I blocked her."

"So... the two of them basically made a bet over whether he could move on from her or not, and you ended up getting trapped in the middle of it," Jimin summed up my story.

I nodded.

"How can you even stand to see him now? I mean, you've been pretty friendly to him since you got here. Aren't you still upset with him?"

"As much as I want to hate him, I can't. I hate what he did, but I don't hate him. I still care for him and he... he told me he wanted to be friends and that he wanted to earn my trust back."

"And do you think you'll give it to him again?" Jimin frowned, "Even after what he did?"

"I don't know. Right now, I don't trust anyone except you. If anything, I'm even warier of him after what Nari said."

"Wait, what did she say?"

With a sigh, I pulled out my phone and went to the conversation with Nari. As I was about to hand it to him, I paused. She had sent more messages.

"Jangmi? What is it?" Jimin's voice barely registered in my ears as I stared at the screen.

When I finally tore my eyes from the messages, I found his concerned gaze waiting for me to speak.

My voice came out in a weak whisper, shock robbing it of any power.

"He's a stalker."

• • •

A/N: oop.

How we feeling? Do you believe Nari? Is Jin really a stalker, and if so, does that change your theory at all?

What are your thoughts on the flashback with Jin and Jangmi?

I realize the chapters have been quite Jin-focused lately, but don't worry. Every character will have their turn, and the order is not of importance :)

Now that we've talked about this chapter, I want to take a moment to talk about what's going on lately here in America (PLEASE NOTE: this is not a place to debate. I would hope we can all be on the same page about this, but please try not to start an argument in the comments). I know many of you are not from America yourself, but this is still a global issue. Injustice and oppression happen everywhere, and your voices are just as important as the rest of ours, no matter where you are from.

George Floyd's murder may have sparked this outrage, but he is only one of FAR too many terrible acts of injustice and racism. Our system is severely corrupt and things need to change, but that will not happen unless we all stand together and use our voices, our actions to demand justice and reform.

Protestors are out there risking their safety, and in some cases their lives, to fight for something they NEVER should have had to fight for in the first place. It's sickening that this is something we still have to so desperately seek in the year 2020. Please continue to speak out, spread awareness, share your opinion with your families and friends and help others understand why this is a problem. Don't avoid it or ignore it. Sign petitions, donate, go out to peacefully protest if you're able. All lives can't matter unless black lives matter. So MAKE SURE they matter. They do.

Stay safe. Do your research. Do your part. And please, seek some good that is happening as well because the media doesn't cover some of the beautiful things that are also happening in these times.

Lots of love,

-Hoseokiiss

June 1, 2020