10

I stood on the edge of the performing arts building, hands on my hips, surveying the empty field below. The lunch bell hadn't rung yet, so the world was still blissfully unaware of my gorgeous presence. But I knew that once it did, Mila's drama class, and the rest of the school, would pour onto the field, giving me the perfect audience for the ridiculous stunt I had planned. She'd look up, and there I'd be, making yet another attempt to grab her attention. It had become our thing... me, always trying, and her, giving out gold medals in ignoring.

Since our date the previous week, I'd been hovering around Mila like she was a home away from home, a place I couldn't stay away from. I'd steal bites of her lunch when she wasn't looking, swipe her hair scrunchies just to watch her scramble for them, and toss crumpled naughty drawings at her during art class, each one more ridiculous than the last. Blowing a puff of weed smoke in her face was just another excuse to see that playful glare she'd shoot my way. I'd nudge her with my shoulder in crowded hallways, stand a little too close to her when we spoke, and make stupid jokes just to hear her laugh. She acted annoyed, but I could tell she was loving every second of it—the way her eyes would light up, her lips curving into a smile she tried to hide. Nadiya, on the other hand, was less amused. She'd hang around us, grumbling under her breath, clearly irritated by me, but I knew she was staying for Mila's sake. Still, I'd caught her a few times sneaking glances at Yoongi, and despite her best efforts, it was obvious she was starting to take a liking to him.

I took pleasure in uncovering the soft, gooey core of Mila Nikolaev.

"It isn't going to work..." Yoongi yelled up at me, sitting under the tree across from the building, blunt in hand.

"It will too!" I shot back, frowning as a hint of wounded pride crept into my voice.

"She's going to call you an idiot."

"A cute idiot," I corrected.

The bell rang through the halls, and suddenly I was flooded with adrenaline; the kind that convinced me that if I were to jump off the roof, I'd ace the landing.

Mila eventually skipped out, her arm linked with Jin's. Her blonde hair swung in a high ponytail, occasionally brushing against a faded bandana in her signature terracotta shade. There was something almost ethereal about her, like a modern-day fairy.

"Oi!" I bellowed down at her, stopping her mid-step.

She dropped her head, letting out what I could only assume to be a disbelieving snicker. "Of course he knows my timetable..." she muttered to Jin.

I enjoyed watching her turn and scan the area, expecting me to be stood at least in the same vicinity, not twenty feet above her.

She should have known me better.

I let out a wolf whistle. "Woohoo, up here, Nikolaev."

Finally, all eyes were on me. Embracing the attention, I took a seat on the edge of the roof and began swinging my legs all child-like.

"Go out with me again." I beamed at her.

"Absolutely not."

"Please.

"No."

"Why?"

"Hm, maybe because I don't want to?" I knew she was only joking, after our date I got the feeling she was waiting for my next grand plan.

"But, but!" I stood up in exasperation, intentionally wobbling on the edge. If I couldn't do anything else, I was going to make that girl worry about me.

"What are you doing? Get down from there you idiot!" she gasped.

Yoongi: three. Me: zero.

"I'm quite alright..." I said, hopping, and momentarily losing my balance, causing a slate to fall and shatter on the concrete below.

Mila shrieked, covering her head. "Jungkook you get down from there! I'm not playing!"

"I will if you go out with me again, simple as that." I continued my precarious balancing act, a cocky grin spread across my face.

"Are you insane?"

"Quite possibly."

After a moment of contemplation, Mila's voice wavered, a mix of exasperation and worry in her tone as she agreed. "Fine! Now get down."

"Say it nicely... Say, yes Jungkook I would love nothing more than to go out with you."

I was a real ass back then but she secretly loved it.

"He's got to be kidding me?" she blinked, letting her scruffy bag fall to the ground as she stormed forward. Despite her authoritative attempt, she was still the least intimidating person I had ever met. In fact, her effort only made her cuter. I made a mental note to tell her that next time she tried to sound scary, maybe ditching that perky hairdo and switching up her footwear might help.

Scary people don't wear flip-flops - I don't make the rules.

"Time's ticking, Mils! One stiff breeze and I could be dead, flat on that ground." Just then, a strong gust of wind did in fact hit, and I dropped to my knees to steady myself. "Oh shit! Haha."

Mila's little scream was oddly satisfying.

"Okay, okay! I'd love nothing more than to go out with you. There, I said it. Will you get down from there already?!"

Everyone around us was either bored out of their minds, doing their own thing, or rolling their eyes at my shenanigans. Yoongi had already left, making a gagging gesture in disgust as he passed.

"Anything for you, baby." I winked and casually jumped off the side of the building, landing with perfect precision. "Parkour!"

That could have ended badly, I'll admit. My knees felt like they were going to shatter.

Gasps filled the air as everyone rushed forward, clearly oblivious to my habit of sneaking out of class to climb anything and everything. The chaos around me barely registered, I was used to this. But I suppose Mila wasn't. She stood frozen, her hands covering her face in shock. I approached her slowly, reaching out to gently brush my thumb along her trembling hand.

Maybe I pushed it a little too far that time.

"Mila, I'm okay," I whispered, trying to calm her down with a lighthearted chuckle. Her fingers slowly parted, revealing her stunned blue eyes still full of fear as they locked onto mine.

"You idiot!" she yelled, smacking me over the head with her beloved script before stomping off.

I couldn't help but grin. Even when she was mad, there was something irresistible about her. Her cheeks flushed with anger, her steps quick and determined, those flip-flops slapping the pavement in perfect rhythm.

And her ass looked so good walking away from me.

"She'll be back," I muttered to myself, shoving my hands into my pockets and watching her retreating figure.

Jin, still lingering by the field, gave me a pointed look. "She's not like Lucia, JK, she's soft; too delicate for the type of games you play. You get that, right?"

I shrugged, acting nonchalant, but his words stuck with me. "She likes the chase," I replied, but the uncertainty in my voice betrayed me. He was right, Mila wasn't like the other girls who giggled at my stunts or threw themselves at me because I was the school's resident bad boy. She saw through the bravado, the cocky smirks, and the reckless behavior. And, somehow, that both excited and terrified me.

Shaking off the thought, I jogged to catch up with her. She was halfway to the cafeteria, her steps still angry and purposeful. I fell into stride beside her.

"You really know how to make an exit, Nikolaev," I said, attempting a playful nudge. She dodged it, her expression as cold as Mila could make it.

"We're not on good terms anymore," she snapped, eyes straight ahead, and her lips curled into a pout.

"Come on, don't be mad."

Mila stopped abruptly, turning to face me. "You could've really hurt yourself up there! What if you fell? What if—" She caught herself, biting her lip as if the thought was too much. "When I said keep doing what you're doing, I didn't mean almost braining yourself."

For the first time, I felt a flicker of guilt. So someone actually cared about me? Damn, that scared me more than any rooftop could.

"I didn't mean to frighten you." My voice had turned softer, more sincere. "I just... I wanted to get your attention."

"You have my attention! You've always had my attention." She looked me up and down and I think I may have blushed. My ears felt like they were on fire. "But I don't want you to risk getting hurt just to get it. If something happened, where would that leave us?"

There it was—the real reason she was holding out. It wasn't that she didn't want to go out with me; it was that she was scared. Scared of committing to someone like me, someone who seemed to live on the edge of self-destruction.

"Okay, Mila," I stepped into her bubble. "No more rooftop protests. And I guess I'll cancel plans to climb the school's water tower or set off fireworks in the parking lot."

She blinked up at me, her gaze tinged with resigned affection. "You're impossible, you know that?"

I gave her a lopsided grin. "But I'm cute, right?"

For once, she didn't argue.

The gossips around us were still listening, eager for a scoop, but Mila, usually so aware of them, was completely absorbed in me. It surprised me how she ignored the background chatter, letting everyone else fade into the background like extras in our own award-winning slow burn.

"So what are we doing on this next date then? The first one set the bar pretty high." Mila was smiling, a warm smile, her sparkly eyed smile.

Crap, I hadn't got that far.

"Maybe we could just chill?" Chill? Who was I, Taehyung? "It'd be nice to get to know each other better... maybe even find out what kind of underwear we both like to wear," I mumbled under my breath.

Mila clicked her tongue.

"Hey, Mila!" someone shouted from across the field. The voice had me instinctively clenching my jaw. I turned just enough to confirm my suspicions, scowled, and then deliberately faced the other way.

Of course, it was Taehyung. He was barreling toward us, all brawn and bravado, his football uniform smeared with mud like some overgrown toddler who'd been playing in the dirt. The sight of him was enough to ruin anyone's day, especially mine.

I tried to ignore him, but Mila was already smiling, her face brightening in that friendly way she always saved for everyone else.

"Hey," Mila greeted, her tone warm as sunlight. I watched from the corner of my eye, pretending not to care, though the sight made my stomach twist. He lifted her effortlessly from behind, spinning her around as if she weighed nothing. She laughed, awkwardly, catching a glimpse of me as she spun. I was still standing to the side, still waiting, still grumpy.

"What's up, Tae?" she asked, craning her neck to look at him.

I couldn't help but think how easy it was for him, how he could stride in, covered in filth, and still catch her interest. The football gear suited him in a way that made my annoyance spike even higher. But he was nothing like the kind of guy Mila was supposed to fall for.

Yet, here I was, standing in the shadow of their perfect little moment, trying not to let my resentment show.

"My prom suits in, my mum ordered me a purple tie," Taehyung smirked, locking his thumbs in her belt loops and pulling her closer.

I saw her face flicker with something like... disgust.

"Purple... haha," her laugh didn't meet her eyes. "What a great colour."

Little liar.

"Yeah, so you can go ahead and order your dress now," Taehyung leaned in closer, lowering his voice as if to make the moment more intimate. It's like I wasn't even there.

Mila forced another laugh, the sound brittle and hollow. "Right, because that's how it works," she said, her voice strained under the weight of his proximity. She glanced over at me, her eyes flickering with something that might've been a plea, or maybe just discomfort. I couldn't quite tell, and it wasn't like she'd ever say it out loud.

I folded my arms tighter across my chest, digging my nails into my palms to keep myself grounded. What was it about him that made her so different? With me, she was real—no masks, no pretences. She wouldn't put up with my bullshit. But the moment he swaggered into the picture, she slipped into this strange version of herself, all bright smiles and accommodating words, as if she needed to match his energy just to stay afloat.

Taehyung, oblivious as ever, kept his hold on her. He truly thought the world revolved around him, and Mila was just one of its many moons. "You're gonna look amazing, Mila," he said, voice low and smooth like it was supposed to mean something special coming from him. He released her just enough to let her turn slightly, but not enough for her to step away. His hands lingered on her waist, a territorial gesture that made my blood simmer.

Mila smiled up at him—another one of those practiced, almost-perfect smiles. "Thanks, Tae," she murmured, though her tone had a weariness to it as she attempted to wriggle away. "Guess I should get on that, huh?"

He leaned in closer, dropping his voice even more, thinking he was being suave. "I've got plans for us that night. You're gonna love it."

Plans? My teeth ground together. Since when did Taehyung get to make plans for her without even asking? And why did he get to assume she'd just go along with it?

Mila shot another quick glance my way, and this time, I caught the unmistakable hint of panic in her eyes. It was subtle, buried deep under that forged smile, but it was there. She was looking for an out, a lifeline, anything to break free from the moment.

"Oi, dickhead, how about dialing down the creep factor?" I finally cut in, my voice intentionally biting. "Believe it or not, not everyone's lining up to date you." The words sliced through the air, dripping with sarcasm and just the right amount of venom. Taehyung's brows furrowed, confusion flashing in his eyes as if he couldn't quite process the fact that someone would dare challenge him.

He blinked, finally noticing me for the first time since he'd arrived. "Oh, hey," he said, like he'd just realised I existed. "Didn't see you there." His tone was dismissive, as if I was just an afterthought in his grand, muddy entrance.

I forced an expression that was tight-lipped and anything but friendly. "Yeah, I figured."

Mila seized the opportunity, quickly stepping out of his grasp and moving to stand slightly closer to me. "I think I need to head home," she said, her voice firming up. "I've got a free period next and a ton of lines to learn before tomorrow."

Taehyung's confidence faltered just a bit, and I could see the gears turning in his head, trying to figure out what had just shifted. "Oh, uh, sure," he said, rubbing the back of his neck. "Catch you later, then?"

Mila nodded, already inching toward the school gate. She couldn't get away fast enough. "Yeah." She waved at him sweetly.

As she walked away, leaving Taehyung standing there looking slightly bewildered, Mila exhaled a long breath. "Meet me and Miller's Pond tonight at seven," she whispered as she passed me.

I shrugged, not quite ready to let go of my irritation. I couldn't shake the feeling that, despite my small victory, Taehyung had somehow managed to win again and Mila was letting him.

***

So hi, I guess I'm back to updating. Would really like to finish this story 🌞

Enjoy !