TWENTY-TWO

                                      Cold

                    distant,

silent.

    That was the way Nari was behaving with Jungkook today at school. He had tried several times to talk to her but she just ignored him.

    Jungkook had also tried to make small but cute gestures like policing his head on her shoulder but she shook him off. She didn't want to act as a couple today, she'd just say that they had a small fight in case if anyone asks.

    "He is sulking, I've never seen him like this." Taehyung said as they sat in the library with Eun, Hyuk and Jimin.

    Eun scoffed, "There's a first time for everything, I guess." she mumbled.

   During these past minutes that they were 'studying', the brown haired boy had glanced at Nari repeatedly. From the other side of the library she could feel his defining stares, as usual. He had sat down with Jin, Namjoon, Hye, Hoseok and Yoongi.

Taehyung and Jimin asked if they could join them to study. They agreed, forgetting about the states of the other peers that looked strangely at the orange and brown haired boys.

"Zik has been absent this whole month, that's weird." Hyuk commented.

Jimin stopped copying Hyuk's notes and spoke, "Maybe we drove him off with our intense stares."

They all chuckled, because it was probably true, as they continued with their work. Nari couldn't focus on her notes. She decided to go and look for an art book for her end of the semester project.

     She soothed out her burgundy blazer as she read the categories on each shelf. One of her secret passion was books. She loved to be transported into another reality with words. Books had helped her cope with her father's sudden departure from her life.

      Abstract Art

  She skipped the other category and found the right one.

     Contemporary Art, finally.

     Just as she was about to take the book, she realized that it was too far from her reach. Unless she could magically grow some inches, she'd be able to reach it.

     "Why did I have to be born so tiny?" she mumbled to herself.

     An arm instantly grabbed her book. Nari was about to protest so she turned around. Seokjin was smirking at her as he nudged her book for her to take.

    "You are welcome." he joked.

    "Thank you." she took her book clutching it to her chest.

     She turned around to leave but his voice cut her off.

     "We're glad that you are okay." he said to her.

     Nari smiled at Jin, "Thanks, Jin."

     "You know that he didn't mean to leave you, right?" he continued.

    Nari stared at him, not knowing what to say.

     She knows he didn't mean to. He had told her yesterday on the phone.

     "Nari!" Eun's footsteps startled both.

She turned around forgetting about their conversation.

"It's lunch time." she wiggled her eyebrows at both teens.

"Food!" Jin exclaimed before jogging to the other side of the library.

Eun dragged Nari outside in a hurry. They both linked their arms and walked until a hand on both their shoulders stopped them.

"I'm sorry to interrupt you ladies but Nari, Namjoon wants to talk to you." Hoseok told the girls and Nari bid goodbye to her friend before following Hoseok.

    "What's wrong?" she asked as they continued walking through the crowded halls.

     She had remembered when she first agreed to all of this. It's crazy how things are taking a turn now.

    Hoseok sighed, he played with the ends of his backpack straps, "They found who tried to kill you." he mumbled so only she could hear.

They knew, they found who did it. They found the people who hurt her, emotionally, that is.

    She had stopped walking but Hoseok pulled her with him, "Don't, we'll talk outside with the guys." his hand enclosed her wrist as he pushed the door open.

   They had gone out of the halls and stepped into the school's outside patio —where she had their first meeting. She'd never forget that day.

    Hoseok dragged her to the farthest place. The boys were already sitting down on the grass.

    All of them were silent as they waited for Nari to arrive. Once she set her eyes on them they all turned to her. The only space available for her to sit was in between Jin and Jungkook.

   Jungkook out of all people...

   She sat down and slid her hands through her skirt. Showing skin was uncomfortable for her.

    Jungkook's eyes had her going out of her mind. She kept looking at Namjoon begging him to begin so she could leave. He set her heart on fire.

   He was her new found weakness.

    "I stayed up last night checking with Tae this," he slid a phone through the table until it was placed in front of Nari, "one of the idiots that shot you lost their phone when they fled."

"The point is that we tracked it, well Taehyung did." Namjoon pointed at the faint smiling boy.

"Our tech genius." Yoongi patted his back.

He received a lot of smiled from the boys. Moments like this made her realize that, aside from being in the wrong paths of life, they were a family.

"Now, the only people who know this are Tae and I that's why we wanted to tell you with the boys too." he admitted.

Taehyung looked sad and down. She had noticed all day. Nari had been thinking about asking him later in the day. Now was the right time.

"What's wrong?" she said as she glanced at both teens who looked like if they were hiding something big.

"Yeah, why are you guys so silent?" Jungkook finally spoke.

"The people who did this are part of Zik's gang, apparently they are after us from what I read." he mumbled.

Zik had done this. The girl's hand clenched.

Suddenly a warm hand enclosed hers. Jungkook's hand drew patterns on hers as he took deep breaths before speaking.

"What else did you find?" he looked like he could burst in any second.

"We don't know if he was there since they used masks similar to ours but his texts imply that he was." Taehyung motioned to the phone so Nari could look at it.

She looked hesitantly at the device. Should she look at it, what could a simple phone hide?

"I'll look at it, don't worry." Jin took the phone out of her hands and started scrolling through it.

"They've been tracking us and Nari, too." Namjoon commented.

Her heart sped up, "Does he know my address too?" she asked.

Her mother and her sister, he can't find them.

"No, but he might soon." Jimin's voice wavered.

This wouldn't have happened if I didn't agree to this whole fiasco. But I did, these are the cruel consequences.

"Oh my God." a cry escaped from her mouth as she placed a hand on her mouth to not startle the other students who lived without no fear.

Meanwhile she had to live with fear of keeping her family safe, her friends.

"I will kill him, right here right now." Jungkook stood up as fast as he could, Nari was about to pull him down but then noticed that Zik had strolled casually around the patio with a girl beside him.

"No, stop!" she screamed as he punched him.

Her tears ran down rapidly as the boys scrambled to separate them. It was too late, they had engaged in a dangerous dance of blood and punches.

The girl with Zik had ran away while the boys tried to stop Jungkook. He punched and kicked Zik until the other boy's face was red from the blood.

Zik chuckled, "I'm not in the mood for a fight."

"I don't care." he punched him again. Zik didn't even bulge at all.

"He's going to kill him if we don't stop him now!" Nari heard Taehyung shout im despair as he tried to pry his friend off Zik.

She couldn't hold it anymore, her feet stomped on the grass as she ran to the boys.

Jungkook was on top of Zik, his back facing Nari.

"Jungkook, don't do this—"

"Leave."

"No!" she stood her ground as she shouted at him.

"Leave!" he shouted back, ready to punch Zik once more.

Zik's laugh startled Nari, "Listen to your princess, pretty boy." he said.

"Nari, I said leave!" he shouted at her and she wiped her tears.

"I will leave once you stop hitting him." one small tear fell and she saw him stop punching Zik.

Her voice cracked.

"Jeon, Yong! Principal's office right now." one of the teachers shouted as she wedged through the crowd.

Taehyung took this as his chance to pry him away. All seven boys followed Taehyung as he had Jungkook's wrists behind his back.

"We'll take him there." he said.

The crowd of students stared shockingly at the scene that was unfolded. Nari followed the boys inside in silence.

Jimin gripped her shoulder as they walked through the halls.

"Things just keep getting worse every time." she mumbled.

"Everything will be okay." Jimin kissed her cheek as he stroked patterns on her shoulder.

"But–"

He enclosed her body in a tight hug, "We are here for you, always."

Those words somehow comforted her, they somehow made her feel safe. They had her back and she began caring for all seven boys.

           -

The small purple lamp illuminated her cozy room. Her mind replayed endlessly the event in the prep. Flashes of the punches that Jungkook threw at Zik, Zik's laugh, Jungkook's facial expression of anger; rage.

        It was almost midnight, she had tossed and turned several times. All the methods to gain sleep were tried by Nari but it was no use. He was running through her mind.

She thought she had heard a tap on her window.

No, it's probably the wind.

Once again she had heard the tap. This time she gripped the bat beside her nightstand; courtesy of Jimin who insisted that she had something to defend herself with incase anything happened.

     Her feet touched the cold floor as she tip toed towards the window. Sliding the curtain slowly she screamed at the sight of the person who was smiling at her.

      Jeon Jungkook.

     "Are you crazy?" she asked from inside.

     Jungkook tried to quiet her screams but he was still outside.

"Let me inside, it's cold." he said through the glass.

Nari wanted to leave him there to freeze, she wanted to sleep. She can't do that to him; that wasn't her.

Opening the window she had let him inside her room.

He wore a thrasher black hoodie with torn blue jeans and some timberlands. Once the purple light hit his face she saw his purple eye.

"What happened to you?" she asked him as she closed her window.

He had sat down on her bed making himself comfortable. Actually, he had gotten himself under the covers as if it was his bed instead.

Jungkook peeked his head from the covers.

    Cute...

     Wait, what? Nari, no you can't do this, get him out.

   Focus!

    She sighed, "Get out."

    "But your bed is so comfortable." he groaned with his head on her pillow.

    Walking to her bed she began to try peeling off the covers. Instead, he had other plans.

    In a flash she was pulled by her hand to the bed with Jungkook. He encaged her body and held her tightly. Her back was against his stomach, his breath hit her exposed neck. This was too much.

    Her sleep wear was a sleeveless tee and shorts with watermelon designs on them.

    "Stop." she tried getting out but he hugged her closer.

    After trying several times she decided to stay with a scowl on her face. Secretly she loved it.

    "I'm sorry." she felt his lips slightly touch her shoulder.

    He's apologizing? This is new.

    "What?" Nari asked out of shock.

     "I said that I'm sorry," she took this as her chance to turn around and face him, "I shouldn't have left you alone even if you told me."

They were so close, their proximity startled her. He could kiss her in any second.

"It was also my fault for telling you to leave." she admitted as she lost herself in his eyes.

    His hand found her waist and began to draw patterns on it. His touch was soft and gentle.

    Jungkook sighed, his eyes trailed down to her lips. She shivered under his intense gaze.

    "When I found out that you were in the car and they were trying to shoot you, I felt something unexplainable," his hand placed a strand of hair behind her ear, "I felt like my whole world was vanishing in a second." his voice wavered.

     Her eyes watered. What does he mean by that? Is it happening again?

   "I haven't told you this but you mean so much to me, I don't know what I'll do if–"

   "It won't happen." she interrupted him.

   He was broken, his walls were starting to fall down one by one like a domino effect.

    He smiled at her, "It won't."

    Suddenly, the sudden urge began to grow inside her body. His pink lips were there, almost touching hers due to their proximity. It was now or never.

     She vowed to herself that she would never fall for him. Yun Nari knew she was doing the wrong thing but it felt right. It felt like it was meant to be.

    Her lips met his in an instant. Her hands found the nape of his neck and played with his hair. Jungkook's hands intertwined at her waist as he brought her closer to his body.

   The kiss was gentle but their emotions were let out in it.

   Sorrow

   Happiness

   Worry

   Love...

   They stopped kissing and had their foreheads pressed against each other.

    Jungkook pecked her lips before kissing her nose.

    "I don't know what this is but I want this to last forever." he mumbled as he kissed her hand that had intertwined with his.

   She knew what this was, she had experienced it before.

   She was heartbroken by a boy before but with Jungkook it felt different.

   "Me too." she smiled.

   Cuddling, kissing and staring at each other were what they did for the past hour.

"Did the principal put you in detention or something?" she asked as Jungkook stroked her shoulder.

She felt his chest shake as he laughed, "Zik got suspended."

"What?" she raised her head from his chest and looked up at him. His hand was below his head in a relaxed manner while his other started playing with the ends of her hair by her waist.

Wow, he is really handsome.

"Principal Kim suspended Zik, I just have to stay after school and help Kim organize his office." Jungkook kissed her nose.

A knock on the door interrupted their lovable gazes at each other.

They could get caught by her mother, or even worse by Ara. Then her little sister could use this situation in her advantage. That can't happen.

   Nari began pushing Jungkook toward the window, "Go!" she whispered.

   "No, let me at least say hi to your mother." he whined jokingly as he slid his hands on her waist and began kissing her neck.

   Her back was pressed on his stomach.

   "Honey! Go to sleep!" her mother scolded her, luckily she had the door closed.

   "I can't sleep, mom." she responded. She tried pushing him away but he pulled her to him once more.

    Soft kisses were what he placed on her neck.

    "Turn off that light and go to sleep." she responded.

    The intensity of the light was so big that it peeked through the hall.

    "Okay." she said as she began ushering Jungkook out of her window.

  Finally breaking free of his grip she had lightly slapped his shoulder, "I hate you." she mumbled.

    "Yeah right, you love me." he joked.

    Her eyes opened wide but she recovered as she let out a small cough, "Leave before my mother scolds me for having a boy inside my bedroom." she whispered lightly pushing him towards the window.

    "Wait." he turned around and held her face in his hands. His warm hands were pressed against her cheeks, his lips met hers in a light, slow kiss.

     She could see the stars, the sun, everything. His lips could send her into a fit of butterflies on her stomach. Her whole body tingled at the motion of his lips.

    "Good night, beautiful." he told her as he separated himself from her and climbed out her window.

    She stayed watching the window until he bid goodbye with his hand and began walking down the sidewalk.

    Her phone rang signaling that she had received a message.

    From: Jeon Jungkook
     driving back home but I can't stop thinking about you...

     To: Kook
Don't text and drive, Kook.

     From: Kook
Geez. Chill mom, lol. I haven't even started the car yet. Btw, I love the new nickname.

    To: Kook
Thanks, I came up with it on my own.

    From: Kook
You are so cute...go to sleep, tomorrow we have school ugh.

    Good night, princess.

    To: Kook
Good night, I'll see you tomorrow. 

     Without realizing it a smile had appeared on her face as she rested on her bed with her fingers on the screen. She saved those pictures and stared at them until she eventually went to sleep with her mind on that boy who almost ended her life.

    That boy was now the person bringing back her happiness instead.