7

I know making me look like a fool in front of everyone has just made his ego increase ten times. It's all over his tone and the look he's giving me. Jungkook knows everything, while I don't know anything. And, in this case, that's right. But it's his fault -and mine, for jumping to conclusions when I should've asked anyone else. But there's no way I could've asked that without having Tammy interrogating me back, and assuming I'm interested in Jungkook somehow.

Everything makes more sense now. At least I don't have to feel bad for feeling tense every single time he's just less than one meter close to me. Now it's not that I need to feel bad, I need to get it checked. Because I don't get it.

The rest of our group keeps distributing the rooms. Obviously, Mark and Jungsoo share one, Tammy and Melanie are placed in a different one, Steve and Carl (the cutest couple, that hasn't separated an inch since I arrived) got one upstairs, and Namjoon, Hobi and Yoongi got the biggest one (which makes sense, since they're three in a room and will probably not share beds).  

Although, while all of that was going on, Jungkook and I started a stare competition that neither of us wanted to lose. We kept making faces, challenging without saying a word. I don't understand why he's giving me those looks anyway. I'm the one who should be mad at him.

A loud clap interrupts whatever non-verbal battle we had going on.

—Shall we leave our things in the room? —Steve suggests.

It's not like the rest of us have much of a choice, so we just nod -some showing more enthusiasm than others. And clearly I'm in the group of those who don't really mind. I'm just hoping the room is big enough for both of us.

I almost tell him to go first, as if we weren't going to spend the whole night together in the same room. I let my mature side take control of my mouth, so I decide to stay quiet. Lips sealed.

Without looking at me, he grabs his leather backpack. And I'm surprised to realize, out of our crew, we're the ones who brought less baggage. Which makes sense, right? We're only staying here for one day. 

When he finally looks at me and is aware of me still standing here, he snorts and points his hand to the stairs, letting me go first. I don't turn a single time to make sure he's following behind me, but I hear the sound of his heavy military black boots stepping on the wooden step.

When I'm about to move to the left, his hand stops me by holding my arm and pushing me to the right. Ignoring the pumping against my chest, I follow his guidance and start walking in that direction. There's only one door open. 

All the calmness and serenity I was trying to keep, vanishes in between my fingers as soon as I poke my head inside the room, with only one bed in the middle of the room. I scan the room, looking at every corner, every hiding place possible -as if a bed would come up out of nowhere right now. When I turn to Jungkook, he's giving me a funny look, while he's resting his shoulder against the door frame.

—My brother's ex-girlfriend was supposed to come, so now we have space left.

And from what I'm seeing, the space left is in the same bed. What were they thinking about when they invited a stranger to sleep here?

—Have you never seen a bed before? —he mocks me.

—Yes, but... —I point towards the double bed— I'm not sleeping with you.

—Great —he walks next to me, leaving his bag next to the left side of the bed—. You helped us save time and effort to decide who's sleeping on the floor and who's sleeping in the bed. I appreciate your sacrifice.

I don't really mind sleeping on the floor. As seen before, I could sleep anywhere with no issue. But the mere fact of him ending up with a triumphant smile on his face, while he's giving me that annoying look is making me insist and compete for the bed.

—Who said I'm the one sleeping on the floor? —I get closer to the bed, throwing my bag on the right side of it— You sleep on the floor.

His head falls back when he laughs, both of his hands resting on his hips before he speaks again:

—You're the one who's new here, so it's pretty clear for me...

There's also the possibility of exchanging rooms with someone else, maybe Tammy or Melanie would want to sleep here. Although if that were the case, they'd have tried to trade rooms before and I wouldn't be the one here. 

—Rock, paper, scissors —he suggests.

—Are we five? 

—Great —he smiles again—. I take it as a win by default.

Before he can lie on the bed, and own it, I put my hand on his way and try to get the game started. We both look at each other deep in the eye, trying to guess what the other will use.

When we both yell "three", we show our hands from behind our backs, and I feel like my blood stops running through my veins when two of his tattooed fingers  are rising. I slowly move my eyes from his fingers to mine, finding them spread. Flat, small and pathetic, while I hear Jungkook celebrate and cheer his win. Some locks of my hair move when he throws himself on the bed.

—Best of three —I insist.

—I won and you lost —he declines—. I'm not selfish though, I can share the bed with you if you want —he uses a seductive tone.

✸ ✸ ✸

We spend the rest of the evening talking between us (well, except for Jungkook and me), trying to get to know one another better. And I'm surprised to learn that Namjoon, Hobi and Yoongi have been friends with Soo since college. And at some point, some of us start preparing the food and drinks for tonight. Although it's not like Melanie and Steve are letting any of us do anything. They keep insisting we are the guests.

While walking around the house, and stopping where the rest of the crew is sitting, I notice I haven't seen Jungkook in a while already. 

—They're picking our cousin up at the station —I hear Soo mention, drawing my eyes back to her.

I try to hide the fact that I was caught red handed while looking for Jungkook. And she seems to avoid going deeper into that when she mentions Steve and Melanie are siblings as well. So this is closer to being a family reunion then. And that doesn't help with the sensation of feeling out of place.

I know Tammy is here with me, but I can tell even she's feeling the same way I do. But I'm not too concerned about her. Let her sneak into three more conversations, get some drinks, and she'll be better than any friend you've had for years.

The main door opens, and Soo lets out a high-pitched scream before she runs to it. For one second, I'm thinking she saw Mark not that long ago. But when I turn to the door... My god. The man that she's hugging is incredibly tall. But it gets even better when his cousin lets go of him, and I get a better sight.

At first, he looks a bit shy when he's introduced to us. It's normal though, by what Soo told us, he came from Korea specifically to spend time with her and Jungkook. And going from that to being invited to a house full of people you don't know, it can be a bit overwhelming. Besides that, he smiles wide all the time, with his head slightly down. 

He's so cute.

The rest of the evening goes on just as quiet. We have dinner, we talk.. or, more like, they talk while I look at Seokwoo every once in a while, as if I have never seen a man in my life. Well, I did, but not like him. And while I smile at my own comment, my eyes find Jungkook's, but it's not like I pay much attention to it either, before I go back to the little group crackling and telling jokes. 

At some point, and as soon as we all are in the mood, Carl comes up with the idea of playing "Never Have I Ever". I keep saying I don't want to play, I just want to look. But most of them insist, and serve me a drink. It starts innocently, with things we've all done when we were younger. But soon the game starts heading in the direction it's supposed to be taking. Carl comes up with "I never had sex in my parents' bed" and everyone drinks, except me -clearly. And the rest of the comments keep going that way. I could've faked it, I could've drunk even if I hadn't done all of that shit. But I doubt anyone is paying attention to me -or so I think.

It's finally my turn, and since most of them already mentioned the most basic "dares", I'm unable to think about anything right now. So I come up with the fastest excuse I can.

—I'm getting something different —I announce, raising the full glass and heading to the table full of drinks.

I'm a bit lost in myself, overhearing the laughs and jokes as they keep coming up with hypothetical situations. And when I raise my hand to reach one of the bottles, my fingers collide against another hand. It's the biggest cliche ever. "And I felt electricity when our hands first touched". None of that shit, it just surprised me, but I instantly smiled when I saw him.

—Don't worry —I hand him the bottle, lifting it up from the table—. You first.

—You got it first —he gives me a cute look.

It's the first time we've made visual contact, and it's probably the worst thing that could happen to me, because I suddenly feel my legs trembling and my tongue getting ready to drop the biggest and most embarrassing bullshit that's ever been said.

—Don't worry, seriously. I keep seeing these, I'm sure I'll be able to wait a bit —I stop, and think about the different ways I can justify myself—. I'm a bartender. That's why. It's not because I'm drinking all day. Which isn't wrong either, I wouldn't have a job if...

I slowly saw how that cute smile turned into an uncomfortable grimace. And I'm not sure if it's the panic, but I don't feel like drinking at all anymore.

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