𝐏𝐎𝐏𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐑 | 𝘬𝘮𝘨

𝙫𝙞𝙞.

( 𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘺𝘶'𝘴 𝘱𝘰𝘷 )

I looked over at Jiyeon as she pulled out her phone to check it. It's not like I wanted to know what was going on with her or anything but I had heard Seokmin's story over 325 times and it was not grabbing my attention as much as it used to. Clearly, that wasn't the same for the members seeing as they were cracking up the entire time.

Looking back at my food, which I planned to take another bite, of I saw Jiyeon get up and leave with an urgency in her walk and what looked like tears threatening to fall from her eyes from my peripheral view. Again, I'm not over-analyzing but I've just always been great at picking up the small things, it's like a talent of mine.

I tried to shrug her demeanor off and go back to being "immersed" in the conversation but a part of me couldn't let it go. I hated that part of me, I really did. It prevented me from just ignoring something like this especially when it was surrounding the girl I had literally the worst first impression on.

No matter how much I wanted to tell her I'm not as horrible as I come off, I fear I've already gone too far and built a hateful relationship with her that would take the sacrificing of my ego to reverse. And well, I couldn't do that just yet.

After a few minutes of arguing with myself, I figured I would just go to the restroom and possibly spare Jiyeon a glance and check if she was okay. Sure I was trying to avoid her but I'm not a monster. If someone's going through something then I comfort them. That's how it's always been yet I feel that may not be obvious.

Silently I slipped out of the private room and made my way to the restrooms. After being here so many times I could probably find my way anywhere with my eyes closed and the bathroom in this case I knew was towards the front of the restaurant. In fact, the luxurious restrooms were an entirely separate building and to get to them you had to go outside the restaurant into the mini courtyard.

I was peacefully and very calmly walking outside until I heard the sound of a woman's extremely loud sigh, completely destroying my nonexistent positivity, and I turned my head to see Jiyeon. She looked like she had just been told to run 20 laps around the building or something as burdening as that which made me immediately curious.

I stood there for a few seconds contemplating whether I should run away and just pretend like I hadn't seen anything, yet my stupid brain couldn't and I found myself walking towards her.

Luckily she was in the corner of the courtyard and was pretty hidden so I just gave in. I suppose I had to put away my ego quicker than I planned to.

"Are you um...okay, I guess?"  It had been complete silence as I stood behind her until I spoke and she quickly turned her face to meet mine yet she paused once she recognized me. What did I expect? I had been trying to play up this unbothered facade this whole time and then I suddenly show up in front of her and initiate a conversation out of pure curiosity.

"What the fuck are you doing here?"

Jiyeon looked at me both confused and annoyed, clearly sidetracking herself from the previous situation. I contemplated for a second and then gave a deep sigh.

"Is everything um okay?" Smooth, really fucking smooth Mingyu.

"Why do you care?" By this point she had completely regained her composure and stuffed her phone in her back pocket, placing her hand sassily on her hip when answering me.

"Just fucking answer me"

"No, I'm not okay! Is that what you want? Now, I have to go find some way to get back to Seoul and pick up my brother so he doesn't spend the night on a park bench." Her complete word vomit startled me yet Jiyeon acted as if what she said was something completely normal and not at all thought intriguing. She sighed and attempted to turn away but I stopped her by grabbing her shoulder. I don't know why I did it but it was as if couldn't stop myself and my dumb subconscious was all that was controlling me.

"I can drive you back if you want." Internally I was calling myself crazy yet on the outside I looked as if my request was nothing and meant nothing.

"With what car dumbass we came in a van?" She scoffed at me and it was at that moment I realized she literally knew nothing about me. No wonder she thought I was going crazy for offering her a ride. And even though I knew this, it was still frustrating to me how stubborn she was.

"My family owns the restaurant, I keep an extra car in the garage now c'mon." I walked straight past her not looking back to see if she was following me or not but I was given my answer the moment I heard footsteps close behind.

I'm going to regret this later, aren't I?