The more the notion rattled around in her mind, the more she liked it. He might not figure out that she was exacting a little payback, but she would know, and that would be satisfying enough.

"Thanks. Mmmm, yummy," she purred before she intentionally licked her lips. She almost smirked when she noticed Jungkook's interested gaze follow her tongue.

The meal he'd served her was bulgogi, kimchi, and japchae. The bulgogi, marinated beef thinly sliced and grilled to perfection, was tender and flavorful. With its tangy and spicy kick, the kimchi added a refreshing crunch. The japchae, sweet potato noodles stir-fried with vegetables and a hint of sesame oil, were both savory and slightly sweet.

She picked up a piece of the bulgogi and took a small bite. Her eyes rounded in delight as the rich flavors hit her taste buds. The combination of savory beef and spicy kimchi was heavenly, and the japchae was a delightful contrast.

"Like it?" Jungkook asked as he set a glass with a piece of paper in it on the bar—presumably her tab.

Nodding, she chewed, then swallowed and used her napkin to wipe her mouth. 

"Like it? I love it!."

"Glad to hear it. It's always popular when we list it. My chef and I have been thinking of updating the menu, and we might put it on permanently instead of just as a special."

"You really should. This is the best meal I've ever had." It was the truth.

His dimples appeared again. "With that endorsement, consider it done." When a server at the other end of the bar called his name, Jungkook pointed at her plate. "Enjoy. I'll be back in a few to check on you."

Once again, her gaze strayed to his ass as he walked the bar's length. Flirting with him didn't seem like it would be a hardship. He was still easy on the eyes, but retaliation was Y/N's main focus.

___

Once that was all settled, he grabbed a bottle of his favorite locally brewed makgeolli, circled around to the other side of the bar, and sat next to the attractive woman whose name he still didn't know. When Seo removed her now-empty plate and asked if she wanted a fresh drink, she glanced at it before pushing her club soda aside and ordering a soju cocktail. Jungkook hoped that meant she was sticking around for a while because he found her fascinating despite not knowing anything about her.

"Are you done for the night?" she asked him as the bartender mixed her drink.

"Yup. Seo had some personal stuff to take care of today, and I was covering until he arrived."

"That was nice of you."

He smiled and shrugged. "I'm always nice, um . . ." He paused and eyed her. "You never told me your name."

Her brow furrowed. "I didn't? I'm sorry, I'm uh Kim...Y/N!" Mentally yelling at herself, I am Shin Y/N!

The name didn't sound familiar at all, but the more he studied her, the more he thought they'd met before. However, his mind was blank on where and when it might have been. But that didn't mean he couldn't get to know her now. He held out his hand, and she met him halfway.

"Well, it's nice to meet you, Kim Y/N. Will you be in the area long, or are you heading back to Seoul soon?"

"Um, I'll be here for a few weeks. My aunt was a bit of a hoarder—a neat one, but it's a three-bedroom house, and I have to go through a lot of stuff. You know, figuring out what to keep, donate, or sell."

"Um, yesterday you left early," he said, his voice gentle but curious.

She bit her lip, trying to come up with a reason that wouldn't reveal too much. "Yeah, I had some things to take care of," she replied, avoiding his gaze.

"Hmm, yeah, you had a house to sell too... many things to take care of," he said with a slight nod, a hint of understanding in his dark brown eyes.

Her heart skipped a beat. He remembered their conversation from the previous night. "Yeah, it's a lot to handle," she replied, forcing a small smile.

"Well, if you need any help or just want a break, you know where to find me," he offered his tone friendly but with an undercurrent of something more.

"Huh?" she responded, caught off guard.

" Let me know if you need anything, like a dumpster or a storage unit. Thanks to this place, I've made connections with a lot of people in different businesses over the years," Jungkook offered, his tone friendly.

"So far, we have everything covered, but thank you for the offer." She sipped her drink, then asked, "How long have you owned the bar?"

"A little more than a decade. I was a football player in college but knew if I didn't make it to the pros, or if I did and got injured, I would need something to fall back on. So, I got a business degree. And I'm glad I did because, although I played for two years as their backup quarterback, I got sacked in a game by two guys twice my size and landed on my arm wrong. Tore my left bicep to shreds," he pointed to the old injury, "and that was the end of football. So, I eventually took the money I'd saved and bought this place when the original owner passed away. His widow didn't want to keep it. I kept most of his staff since he'd already made it a successful business."

He realized he'd told her way more than she'd asked about—for some reason, she was easy to talk to, even though he barely knew her. "Anyway, that's the long answer to your simple question. What about you? What do you do in Seoul?"

She smiled, and his interest stirred again. 

"I'm a CPA," Y/n told him, not wanting to reveal her true career as a forensic accountant with the Drug Enforcement Agency. While not a gun-carrying agent, she worked in an office, tracking the financial transactions between drug dealers and their suppliers. The cartels often laundered money through legitimate businesses, and it was up to Y/n and the rest of her team to figure out which ones.

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