Jungkook nodded his head each time his colleague said something, managed a smile for a few seconds as he glanced from their faces to the drink in his hand. Yugyeom clearly had made a joke, and obviously it was funny since the rest of his colleagues were laughing, punching one another in the shoulder but Jungkook was just distracted, not knowing whatever anyone was saying at all. They became nothing but sounds in his ears, not words or sentences.

This office party Bang Sihyuk was holding for the new completed design of the office would be a lot more fun if it happened probably when he first started to work in that company, but now it became repetitive and boring and the only thing that didn't stay the same was the purpose of the party. The party they had in the previous year which was supposed to serve as a farewell party to a senior employer had some kind of a similar vibe to this party he was in right at that moment.

Jungkook sipped on the coke and decided to take a seat somewhere, busy himself with food to kill the boredom –he had to shut down the thoughts of him missing Hoseok and Yoongi because the two were better than the many people here –but was stopped when his ear caught Chaeyoung's name rolling off Yugyeom's mouth.

His ear perked, listening to Yugyeom praising Chaeyoung in front of the other guys, and he felt his jaw clenched when one of the guys teased with something like; "Is she really Jungkook's girl or is she yours?"

Jungkook let out a light scoff, looking away before he could kill Yugyeom with his glare when the latter just laughed and joined in the joke. Whatever, he said in his mind. Unfunny and unnecessary jokes like that were unimportant anyway, none of it would come true, he thought.

Jungkook wanted to believe that Chaeyoung had come back to him, but these few days had made him rethink of it. Chaeyoung had been spending most of her time with Taehyung and it gave his heart a little twinge of pain and jealousy when obviously, Taehyung had been the cause of her getting back her old self.

He was aware how his jealousy was doing nothing but harming himself, and that he should trust her more than ever. It was just that she seemed to be having a thought that she kept hidden which bothered him so much. He believed it was that thought inside her head that became the thin line separating them. It was that thought of hers that was preventing her from giving her all to him and he wished he knew how to make her say it out loud, because to be dubious and cautious of every move was making the air around them sometimes became rather uncomfortable.

Everyone around him was talking nonstop, and he knew there was no point in trying to stand still and waste his time listening to a story that he hadn't been focusing on since the beginning. His glass was empty and he wanted to refill it, and maybe get himself a seat somewhere like what he wanted to do earlier, try on every single menu there was.

When he spun himself on the floor, he almost bumped himself into someone, managed to plant both feet on the floor before he could fall forward. He should have been complimented when his free hand was quick to hold onto the person in front of him and Jungkook's brows lifted with his eyes widening slightly when he realized who it was.

Before he muttered anything, Jungkook found himself locking eyes with the person before him, and he could feel a faint smile slowly building up on his face.

"What –what are you doing here?" he asked Chaeyoung, his hand letting her arm go as she took one step back with a soft smile, eyes lowered.

Jungkook took that time to let his gaze run around her from head to toe, mesmerized at how her long, healthy hair cascaded down her exposed shoulders in that long-sleeved, off-shoulder, tight short black dress. The glitters around the black dress made it look like they were stars scattered around the universe and Jungkook's mind took that as a reminder of how Chaeyoung was becoming his universe at each day.

Chaeyoung smiled at him softly with a reply. "It was a last minute invitation."

Jungkook breathed out softly, still unable to get over at how she was actually taking his breath and focus all for herself. "You look fantastic," he blurted, finding himself unable to control the smile hanging off his face.

She looked down at her dress, the smile on her face was shy and she ran a hand down the garment. "This dress looks amazing, isn't it? Jennie picked it for me."

"Only 'cause it's you who's wearing it." And Jungkook wasn't sure how it came out smoothly like that. It wasn't that he was trying to flirt with someone he barely knew, but for some reason, he felt half embarrassed and half proud of what he'd delivered.

The glint playing in her eyes managed to stagger his breath a little, especially when she stared a little too long at him before presenting the small, shy smile of hers again. "Thank you," she said lowly, voice was almost unheard and Jungkook was sure he knew she was thanking him because his eyes were on her lips and that enabled him to read what she was saying. "You look really great, too."

"Do I?" he smiled playfully at her.

"You do," she chuckled.

Behind him, he could hear low chatters from his colleagues.

"That's her," Yugyeom said.

"Wow, I've seen her every time she came but I never realized how gorgeous she is."

"No shit. She's hella fine, man."

"Too bad she's taken."

"Didn't they, like, break up or something?"

"Break up or not, none of you guys will get a chance," Yugyeom chuckled.

"Why?"

"Do you honestly think he will let you live if you ever get close to her?"

Jungkook exhaled through his nose with his eyes briefly closed. When he opened his eyes and met with Chaeyoung's eyes looking over his shoulders with an unsure smile when his colleagues were throwing some 'Hey', 'Hi', 'What's up', and 'My name is Single', Jungkook pressed his lips together with a slight roll of his eyes.

He saw an empty spot probably twenty steps away from where he and Chaeyoung were standing and thought of wanting to drag her there. "Let's –"

"Park Chaeyoung," Bang Sihyuk's voice came out of nowhere before he appeared from Jungkook's side, cutting him off like he didn't exist. "I'd like to introduce you to someone."

Chaeyoung's eyes drifted from his to his boss and before she could say anything, Bang Sihyuk led her to walk away from Jungkook. Chaeyoung glanced back at him before she smiled apologetically. There was a lady, an acquaintance of Bang Sihyuk, who seemed to be really interested in Chaeyoung's work that she asked for Chaeyoung. Jungkook watched as the two female talked a little, exchanging numbers and Chaeyoung nodding a lot more, smiling shyly when the lady let out more praises.

When they were finished talking, Chaeyoung slowly excused herself, turning at his direction and was about to walk over to him, and Jungkook looked at her with a smile that soon faded when another person stopped Chaeyoung and talked to her, also about her work.

He nodded his head with a small smile, throwing her a glance one last time before he turned to his colleagues. In his heart, he was proud as well at how well received it was. She obviously had done a really great job in transforming the office into a place that gave off the kind of vibe that made a lazy person like him to gain motivation to work. Bang Sihyuk's room no longer looked dull and so office-like, and Jungkook liked how it changed drastically in such a good way. Her play on colors was amazing as well and how she managed to transform the office into something that perfectly suited to his boss's taste amazed him ceaselessly, because Bang Sihyuk was almost impossible to impress and satisfy.

Chaeyoung talked to at least five people before Jungkook noticed that she placed her empty glass on the table and slowly walked away. He saw her heading outside, and instantly, his feet began to move but stopped momentarily when Yugyeom pulled his shoulder.

"Hey, where you're going, man? Karaoke's going to start soon. And you're gonna sing."

Jungkook calmly pushed the male's hand away from his shoulder, finished his half-filled glass as he walked past the crowd, and placed his own glass next to hers before he rushed out the door, ignoring the multiple calls of his name. Jungkook looked on his left and right, but she was nowhere, and so he took long steps to reach the main door, pushed it with one hand and ran outside.

He stared into the streets across him and narrowed his eyes to see if he could see her anywhere around. He looked from right to left, left to right, spun his body around to see if she was just about to get out of the building but turned around again when he couldn't see her. How could she have gone so fast? Did she plan to leave so early? Was someone already waiting for her as soon as she stepped outside?

He walked a few more steps, just around the previous area in hope that he could catch her anywhere before her voice came. "Jungkook?"

*

Chaeyoung looked around for a moment and when she was sure that no one was going to pull her to talk, she decided to go out. As much as she wanted to get Jungkook out of there as well, she didn't want to interrupt his time with his colleagues so when she took that chance to step out of the building, she did it quietly so no one noticed her.

She was standing next to a bench that was outside the building before the kind man who was sitting stood up immediately and gave up his seat for her.

"Oh, it's okay," she assured him but he shook his head.

"No, my friend's coming in a minute. So you should probably sit."

The guy then stood next to her for a few while before a car came to a stop in front of him and he ran towards it. After he left, no one else was around her and she somewhat felt a little comfortable with no strangers around her as she sat there. When she turned to her left, her brows furrowed when she saw Jungkook turning his body wildly like some detective had just lost the criminal. He pushed his hands against his waist, stepping forward for a few steps with his head turning around briefly at either side.

"Jungkook," she called but he didn't seem like he heard her. Clearing her throat, she called a little louder, "Jungkook?" And he turned to her.

He stared at her from where he was, frozen for one second before he released a long sigh. Chuckling, he approached her with his hands still on his waist.

"What are you doing out here?" she asked, returning his chuckle as she eyed him.

He lifted one brow at her and asked her back with a faint smirk, "What are you doing out here? You're in that dress out here in the cold," he took off his jacket in an instant and tried to put his jacket around her, "when you're supposed to be inside, partying."

"It's okay, I actually feel hot," she said, stopping him.

"You sure?"

"Yeah."

"So why aren't you inside?" he asked.

The small smile she had on her face slightly stretched more. "Why should I?"

"Hey, that party is basically to celebrate you," he chuckled and took a seat beside her. "So I don't get why you're out here when the party is for you."

"Well..." she shrugged. "I was invited last minute, and I don't really have the mood to party anyway."

Jungkook nodded, propping his elbows on his knees.

"What are you doing out here?" she repeated when she realized he hadn't answered her. "I thought you're like the performer of the night. Aren't you supposed to sing?"

He laughed, and Chaeyoung found herself smiling as she gazed at his side profile, catching the sight of the little crinkles on the corner of his eye.

"What's the point if you're leaving the party anyway?" he answered softly once his laughter died down.

She felt it again, her heart beating in an abnormal rhythm. It had been awhile since he sang something to her and she was dying to listen to it, but then going back inside would exhaust her and now all she wanted was to lie down on her bed.

"Don't worry about it, it's just karaoke." He turned to look at her after he glanced around. "Where's your car?"

"Jennie drove me here because I thought I would at least enjoy the party and would drink some."

"So she's going to pick you up?"

"No, I guess. I'm... waiting for a cab," she said and there, deep in her heart, there was a tiny voice with a tiny hope that Jungkook would offer her a ride home. "Jennie didn't answer my call," she chuckled.

Silence began to make an appearance that lasted for a few seconds before Jungkook said, "Let's go."

She knew that he was offering her a ride home, but her mouth acted before she could control it as she asked a stupid question. "Go where?"

Jungkook stood up and gave her a warm smile. "Home."