~ Next Morning ~

8:00 a.m.

Rising up in my snug futon bed like a zombie arising from its grave, I clambered out of my blanket in sluggishness with my chaotically tangled hair and barely unclosed eyes.

Clumsily getting up on both feet, I elongated all my limbs and stretched my entire body as I released a monstrous grunt.

Dragging my feet to the porch of the house, I let out a hideous yawn with my mouth forming a gigantic zero as I let the balmy and rejuvenating sunlight hit the surface of my skin.

But right as I was about to close my mouth, my half-open eyes suddenly met the same callous eyes I saw  yesterday.

"It's amazing how someone can possibly look this ugly in the morning." Jungkook sniggered, as if he had been observing me the entire time like I was some sort of a bizarre and grotesque creature he's never seen before.

My whole face instantly flushing in crimson red and my chest inundating with sheer humiliation, I dashed back inside at lightning speed and locked myself in the restroom.

Palming my scorching face, I whined hopelessly, "I can't believe he saw me like thaaat..."

It wasn't like the embarrassment you feel when your crush sees you trip and fall flat on your face, but it was more like I just didn't want anyone to see me in my most bare-faced and vulnerable state.

Makeup is the sole thing that makes me feel confident and pretty about myself, and I exposed myself to the last person I wanted to during this staycation.

After regaining my composure, I hurriedly washed my face, applied some moisturizer, brushed my teeth, and I was about to cover up my dark circles with some concealer until...

Bang bang bang!

"Hana, get out. I need to pee." I heard Jungkook demand from the other side of the door, causing me to panic internally.

"W-Wait! Give me five more minutes!" I beseeched, but he simply continued to bang on the wooden surface.

"Come on, I need it real bad." he annoyingly urged.

"Just hold it a bit more." I pleaded desperately.

After letting out a forlorn sigh, Jungkook gave up in defeat, "Well, I guess I'm just gonna have to pee in my pants then."

"WAITTTT!" I unlocked the door without delay before this little kid could peed himself, hauling the handle of the door and finding a snickering Jungkook standing there with his hands stuffed in the pockets of his faded bush pants.

But upon seeing my bare-skinned face up-close, his facial expression became humorless and somber.

Elevating his right hand in a slow manner, Jungkook cupped my face softly, then brushed his thumb against the natural skin of my cheek.

"Don't wear makeup. You look prettier."

Totally unaccustomed to receiving complimenting from a guy like him, I sheepishly shoved his hand away and muttered in bashfulness, "Shut up and go pee you weirdo."

"Ewww stop making out in the restroom you twoooo!" we perceived Jimin obnoxiously say out of nowhere, making me thrust Jungkook away from me forcibly before anyone could gain any misconceptions.

"We were not!" I madly denied and blushed as I stomped out of the restroom.

"I just came here to pee man." Jungkook exhaled deeply, sedately entering the lavatory right after me and shutting the door behind him.

"Oh by the way, we're gonna start in five minutes Kookie!" Jimin shouted, getting a melodious "Okayyy~" from inside the restroom as a response.

"Start what?" I questioned curiously, spinning my body to face my cousin.

"I tutor kookie when he needs help studying for his upcoming tests." he answered, considering he always has been a brainy and knowledgeable nerd ever since he was mini Jimin.

I exploded into laughter and sneered, "Have you guys ever heard of, you know, cheating?"

Gasping as if he was a five-year-old boy who had just witnessed a kiss scene, he whispered like his principal was listening somewhere in the room, "I can't do that Hana, I don't wanna get suspended."

My pupils circulating at his child-like mindset, I shrugged my shoulders in reply.

"Whatever, you do you Jimin."

With that, I scampered off to the kitchen from where I heard my grandmother preparing breakfast.

＊　＊　＊

"I don't get itttt!"

Adding another vertical line to my tally of how many times Jungkook had said those four words, I continued to observe Jimin struggle to educate his best friend on one math problem they have been stuck on for the past 30 minutes.

I couldn't contain my contemptuous giggles at how agitated and mentally disoriented Jungkook looked.

"Wow, you really have the balls to act like you're greater than anyone else when you actually have the dumbest brain." I stated my honest opinion, letting out a scoff as I leaned back on the wall with my arms folded.

"Hana!" Jimin loudly berated me, making it seem like I had just committed some sort of crime.

As if I had just triggered something inside of him, Jungkook stood up wordlessly and stormed out of the living room.

Bewildered by his exasperated reaction, I asked Jimin, "What? It's okay for him to make fun of me but when I do it's all of a sudden a bad thing?"

Sighing composedly, he defended, "It's just, Jungkook's been failing in school and he's really been trying to improve his grades for the past few months."

"Ohhh.." I awkwardly trailed off and shifted my gaze away from his, suddenly being overwhelmed by immense guilt.

"Go apologize to him." Jimin ordered, but being the adamant girl I am, I immediately responded with an obstinate "No!"

"Hana. Go." he pointed in the direction of where Jungkook disappeared, giving me that "I'm older than you so you better listen to me" look.

Groaning in indisposition, I grudgingly got up from my comfy position with slouched shoulders.

"Fineeeeeeeeee."