Love Candidate - Teddy Bear - Chapter 6

"Jungkook-" Someone swung the door open. We both froze in shock when we turned to find a woman standing by the doorway. The woman halted in place when she found us on the bed and dropped the bag in her hand. I gulped in terror as she stared at me, then averted her eyes to Jungkook, who was gawking back at her.

It was Hyeri. Jungkook's girlfriend.

"Are you sure you'll be alright?" Jungkook questioned as soon as we got to the ground floor of his apartment complex.

"I'll be fine. I think your girlfriend is upset," I muttered as I reached inside my pocket to check the time on my phone. She was very taken aback when she found us together on the bed, and I don't blame her, but she was very understanding. Jungkook reassured her, but she was obviously still upset. It's natural. I felt really sorry, so I decided to leave Jungkook's place.

"She's not upset. She knows about our friendship. That's why I love her," Jungkook assured me, so I exhaled and patted his shoulder. He's so stupid. His girlfriend should be upset.

"Have fun up there," I teased, pointing at his upper penthouse as I strode away from him. Jungkook chuckled softly and waved at me as he watched me from the entrance of the building. I didn't head home and decided to drop by ajumma's place to help her do her chores since it was the weekend. She scolded me for not taking my time off but fed me good food. Ajumma is a single mother. Her husband passed away after getting into an unfortunate accident at a construction site. She has only one son, and he's studying abroad at a prestigious university. She works day and night to support her only child. And she's just like... appa. Always so caring and friendly. People like them... live the unluckiest life. Good people get the worse from life. I wouldn't be here today if it weren't for ajumma's encouragement and support.

I lost all hope after I ran away from my parents. Lost myself... my purpose and my desire to live. It was a very dark and shameful phase. I went down the dark path because I desperately wanted to forget the miseries I was in. I wanted to numb my sorrows, so I stole. I did drugs. I drank. I hooked up with guys I met at clubs and slept with them at sketchy motels.

Jungkook tried to change me. He was very disappointed with what I was doing to myself, so I left his place to thrive on my own. I was very stubborn and chose to drown myself because I was hurt. It was the only excuse I had to justify my actions. I was foolish, so Jungkook... got extremely angry at me and at one point, he gave up on me. He didn't talk to me, and we didn't contact each other. So, I strayed farther and farther away from the good side of the world until I met Jimin.

We clicked the instant we met. He didn't know who I was because I never told him anything about my identity, not until much later. We got together, and hell, we were Bonnie and Clyde. We were partners in crime. I loved the thrill of living a sinful life with Jimin. We did drugs together. We got drunk. We got into fights with people like us. We scammed people. We broke the laws and lived with little to no cash.

But surprisingly, Jimin convinced me to stop our meaningless cycle of illegal acts. Because if we kept up with our unhealthy lifestyle, we'd end up as criminals on the wanted list. He didn't want us to live that way because he wanted to live a better life. A life clean of our past traumas. Specifically my traumas. Jimin had no choice but to live his life because his parents were poor. But for me? I was living the life on purpose because I was torn. Jimin knew I was wasting away my life and opportunities, so he wanted a new beginning for us. For me. So he took me to his parent's local store. His father was generous enough to offer me a part-time job at their store, and I was even allowed to stay at their cramped home. His mother fed me warm meals and she even insisted on sending me to school, but I refused her offer. They thought of me as their own family. I loved Jimin, so I agreed to stay off the streets and work for his parents. We were happy for a brief moment, not until I messed up.

Flashback

"What do you mean all the money's gone?" Jimin questioned anxiously when he found his parents leaning against their cash counter after returning from delivering the goods.

"We have to make a deposit to the bank. Our loan interest is due today, but even the money in the safe for the store's rental is gone," Jimin's mother sobbed in distress.

"Where's Jiyoung? Wasn't she the one in charge of the store???" Jimin frowned at his devastated parents.

"She's supposed to be. But when I came back- everything was gone. The safe was empty, and she was nowhere to be found. Foolish child! How long will she last out there with the small amount of money?" Jimin's mother cried while shaking her head. Jimin's heart dropped at his mother's words.

"She promised me! Is she out of her mind???" Jimin seethed in anger, suddenly dropping the delivery bag in his hand in shock, and rushed out of the store in a hurry to dial Jiyoung, but she didn't respond to his call. Jimin angrily kicked the truck's tire and crouched down to grab his hair in distress. After recollecting himself, Jimin launched to his feet, grabbed his delivery scooter, and shot down the street to search for Jiyoung. Jimin visited every hideout, club, and motel he knew to search for her. But she was nowhere to be found. Jimin rubbed his forehead in frustration in the middle of the crowded area until he spotted a familiar dealer approaching him with a slight smile.

"You look well," The dealer smiled at Jimin's healthy skin tone.

"Have you seen Jiyoung? I'm searching for her- She ran off not too long ago," Jimin greeted the dealer, anxiously glancing at the clubs on the sides of the street.

"I promised you I won't sell her drugs- but she was- not herself when I saw her. She was bawling for drugs. I pitied her, so I gave her a weak one. I'm sorry about that," The dealer exhaled in guilt. Jimin stared at her in disbelief.

"Where is she?!" Jimin snapped at the dealer. The woman fired Jimin an uneasy expression and finally took him to her room at a rundown motel filled with other dealers.

"I was worried about her condition, so I brought her here," The dealer muttered as she unlocked the door. Jimin impatiently pushed it open when the woman gripped his forearm to hold him back.

"What are you-"

"She told me her parents came to see her. I think that might've been the reason," The woman fired Jimin an anxious expression. Jimin frowned at her and finally strode into the apartment... but it was empty.

"What the- fuck! JIYOUNG!" The woman gasped when she realized her window was wide open and Jiyoung was climbing out of her room. Jiyoung's eyes grew wide open when she caught a glimpse of Jimin. He rushed forward to grab her in panic, but Jiyoung quickly grabbed the nearby window's frame and swung her legs to the back ladder. She took a risky leap and collapsed onto the rooftop of another building. Jimin panted in shock as he watched her scurry away from him. He quickly dashed out of the motel and bolted through the crowd on the street.

"HWANG JIYOUNG!" Jimin yelled when he found Jiyoung stumbling across the intersection to his side. She turned to look at him in fright and raced in the opposite direction, so Jimin gritted his teeth and pushed everyone out of his way as he chased after her.

"Leave me! Argh-"

"WHAT'S THE MATTER WITH YOU!?" Jimin screamed at her when he caught Jiyoung's arm, roughly yanking her back in anger. Jiyoung thrashed frantically, but Jimin refused to let go of her arm.

"I'M GOING CRAZY! I'M GOING CRAZY! ARGHH! PLEASE- I CAN'T PRETEND TO BE OKAY FOR YOU ANYMORE! I CAN'T DO IT!" Jiyoung screamed in tears as she desperately tugged Jimin's firm grip off her arm.

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN PRETEND?!" Jimin snapped at her with his terrified eyes wide open.

"I THOUGHT I COULD REDEEM MY LIFE WITH YOU! SO I AGREED TO START AFRESH! BUT THE MORE I PRETENDED- THE CRAZIER I FELT WITHOUT THE DRUGS AND THE ALCOHOL! I'M FUCKING DROWNING, AND I'M NOT FEELING ANY BETTER! I CAN'T DO IT ANYMORE! I CAN'T- I CAN'T BE THE GOOD PERSON YOU WANT ME TO BE ANYMORE!" Jiyoung screamed at Jimin. She was drowning in her despair again. Jimin stood staring at her in disbelief. He was disappointed.

"We can fix this, okay? Jiyoung, I promise you will feel better. You have to trust me. Let's go home," Jimin exhaled, tightly gripping her wrist.

"If you want to be the good guy, then do it. But I'll never be good for you! Leave me alone and find a better person if you're so desperate for a good life!" Jiyoung seethed at Jimin in tears. She roughly tugged her arm out of his grip and stormed away from him. Jimin stood fixed in his position as he watched her disappear into the crowd before him until warm tears slid down his cheeks. Gulping, Jimin slowly turned around and walked in the opposite direction. He eventually collapsed in an empty alley and slid down against the wall with his hands pressed against his face when he felt his heart breaking into pieces.

She was the reason- he wanted to be a better person... but she doesn't even want to be better.

End of Flashback

I snapped out of my thought as I walked home with the freshly made side dish ajumma packed for me. I let out a heavy exhale to force the memories out of my head again when I noticed a sports car following me from behind. Is it Seokjin? I turned to glance at the car, but the window was tinted, so I couldn't see the driver. I strode forward when my phone started vibrating, so I halted to withdraw it from my pocket. Unknown Number.

"Yeoboseyo?" I answered.

"Do you want to go on a date?" A familiar voice questioned.

"Who is this-" I muttered, lowering my phone to stare at the screen.

"You didn't save my number? That's disappointing," Someone spoke up from behind me, so quickly I turned to find Kim Taehyung stepping out of his car with a smug smile.

"You're a creep," I shook my head and hurriedly marched away from him.

"Does Seokjin hyung know you're living with your boyfriend?" Taehyung questioned, making me halt in my tracks. I turned to find Taehyung smirking at my house as he leaned against his car door with his hands in his pockets.

"He's not my boyfriend. And stop following me around. I've already repaid Jimin's debt," I sighed. Taehyung chuckled softly as he walked up to me with a mischievous expression, towering over me with his intimidating energy. I gulped in fear when I noticed the gun in his coat. What if he kills me?

"Oh! Is the side dish for me? Wah! Thank you! I'll see you around!" Taehyung suddenly snatched the package from me and hurried back to his sports car.

"Yah- This dude- What the fuck- YAH!- Is he mad?!" I gasped in shock, unable to react to the unexpected situation. Taehyung waved at me and drove off with ajumma's side dish as I stood staring at his car with my mouth hanging open in disbelief. Did a mafia boss just rob my pickled radish?! I scoffed in irritation and walked into my house, but the living room was empty. Did Jimin leave? His sneakers are gone. Shrugging, I went to my bedroom to shower and got ready for bed. I stared at the window in silence until I heard a faint knock on my bedroom door. He's back? I slowly got off my bed and pulled open the door to find Jimin standing before my door with a dim expression.

"Can we talk?" Jimin questioned. I stood staring at him in silence and finally nodded.

"Let's talk here," I exhaled and leaned against the door frame in my nightgown.

"Give the money back to your parents," Jimin suddenly pushed an envelope of cash into my hand.

"Where did you get this-"

"I told you I have my ways. Thank you for repaying my debt, but return the money to your parents. And this. It's the money I owed you. Take it," Jimin exhaled, placing another envelope in my hand. I stared at the money in silence and looked back up at him.

"Why are you like this? This cycle will never end if you keep on borrowing-"

"I earned it. I'm not in debt. Don't worry," Jimin shook his head at me.

"How did you even earn this much money-"

"Will you trust me? Hmm? I told you I want to live a better life with you, didn't I?" Jimin exhaled sadly. I gulped in difficulty when I felt my chest stirring in discomfort. Jimin suddenly took a step forward and placed his hand against the side of my cheek, so I snuggled my face against his warm palm and closed my eyes to process my feelings.

"I don't trust you, but I want to. I want to trust you again, but it's hard," I whispered, gently leaning my head against his chest as he slipped his fingers into my hair to comb through it.

"It doesn't matter if you don't trust me. Just know that I love you," Jimin whispered against my ear, sending chills down my spine. I gulped against his chest with my eyes closed and stood in silence to process my thoughts. I slowly lifted my arms to encircle it around his waist, finally looking up at Jimin's gentle gaze in defeat. I can't ignore my feelings anymore.

"I love you too," I replied, reaching out to tug his face towards mine, so Jimin leaned down to rest his forehead on mine. He tightened his grip around my waist with one hand in my hair as he hovered his lips over mine to hold himself back.

"You know I'll always come running back to you, so don't push me away again," Jimin whispered against my lips. I nodded and leaned upward to press my lips against his. Jimin encircled his arms around my waist, drawing my body against his as we stood in the doorway. I gently caressed his lips and slowly took a step backward while we kissed. Jimin followed me into my room, so I dropped the envelopes onto the floor and encircled my arms around his neck to hold him against me. Jimin gently pushed me onto my bed and leaned down to kiss me as he crawled onto my bed. He quickly yanked off his shirt, then leaned over to pull my gown over my head until my body was fully exposed to him. I tugged him down by his waist until I felt his body rubbing against mine. Jimin panted against my face as he gripped onto my hands to interlace our fingers on the mattress. Our hot bodies... steaming with lustful desires.

I eventually returned to my bed after getting dressed as Jimin threw away the tissues after wiping our discharge on the bedsheet and collapsed onto my bed. Jimin didn't pull on his shirt and sat on the edge of my bed in his trousers to rub his face after we made love.

"I'll sleep on the couch," He spoke quietly, so I reached out to grab his arm.

"We can share the bed," I whispered. Jimin responded to my invitation with a weak smile and rolled onto the bed with me, slipping his arm under my neck to cushion my head. I turned on my side to snuggle against my chest as Jimin kissed my forehead.

"What about your date? I thought you didn't want to complicate your relationship with him?" Jimin whispered. I gently rubbed his arm as I listened to his steady heartbeat and closed my eyes.

"I'm not seeing him anymore," I mumbled.

"Why not?" Jimin questioned.

"It's too complicated," I muttered.

"Even more complicated than us? I doubt it," Jimin scoffed, making me smile at his words.

"What happened to the woman? The one you left me for?" I sighed heavily while recalling the painful memories.

"She didn't understand me like you did. I didn't stay with her long because I knew... I messed up. I didn't have the guts to return to you, so I joined the thugs," Jimin responded, gently pressing his nose against my face to inhale my scent.

"She seemed independent. I thought that's the reason why you left me for her," I gulped when I felt my chest churning in pain. The reason Jimin cheated... was because he grew tired of my stubbornness. He tried to help me overcome my nightmare, but I pushed him away and did reckless things.

"Oh. I wanted to help you, but you wouldn't let me comfort you. I thought I was going crazy, so I lost myself. I was desperate. I wanted to live a better life- And she happened to show up at the right time. So I gripped onto her, thinking... I could finally be happy, but I was wrong. She was too... pure. She expected too much from me. She never understood my needs. She tried to support me, but I suddenly lost the will to live. I had endless glimpses of us when I'm with her. When I hold her... I see you. When I'm with her... I yearn for your presence," Jimin whispered. I fell quiet and slowly looked up to find him staring at me with his torn eyes.

"If she was so good for you, then why did you ache for someone like me?" I questioned in confusion.

"Because I realized... I didn't want to be a good person for my own happiness. I realized... I only wanted to be better because of you. You're the reason I wanted to live in this world. I was helpless without you. That's why I went mad and joined the cult on impulse. I was guilty. I wanted to destroy myself again because I knew you deserved better, and I was a fool to think I could thrive without you," Jimin gulped as he gently caressed my cheek with his thumb. I felt like crying at his words, but I refused to let the tears flow and proceeded to stare at him in the dark.

"You left me for your own good, but I ended up... becoming a better person without you. When you left. I didn't blame you. I was happy for you because I knew I was the weight holding you down. You didn't lose me when you left. I realized... I lost you, and it broke my heart. I regretted everything. I wanted to make things right for us, but I was too late. And because of that, I gained the courage to live a better life. You weren't there to care for me anymore. No one was there to pull me out of my sorrow. I had no one to rely on but myself. I needed you, but I knew you were long gone. So, I had to feed myself. I had to crawl on my own. I had to live on my own. I grew frustrated without your presence, but I couldn't even whine about my pain because I was the reason you left me. So I tried- to end my misery- but ajumma. She found me on the street... overdosed with drugs. She took me to the hospital. She took care of me when she realized I had no guardians, so she gave me food and shelter. She gave me a job, and I didn't want to hurt her like I did to your parents. Ajumma gave me the comfort I needed, and she reminded me so much of appa- so I finally woke up from the nightmare and chose to pursue the right path. I lived for her. But I eventually began to feel better. The world became brighter, and the past faded from my memories. I moved into appa's place and finally felt at peace because I felt like I was finally at home," I sighed. Jimin grew quiet, gently squeezing my shoulder to comfort me.

"I didn't know where to find you, so I followed Jungkook. He came to your place often, and I'd pass by from time to time but never really got the courage to see you again. You seemed better without me," Jimin confessed.

"I am better without you. That's why I'm scared. I'm scared of us," I shook my head. Jimin sadly stared at me with a beaten expression.

"I'm getting worse without you," Jimin muttered. We grew quiet and stared at each other in silence. I don't know what to do anymore. I didn't want to feel better and chose to drown myself in my own misery until Jimin left. I became a better person after I lost him. But Jimin... he left me for his own good... but now he's the one drowning. Can we really get back together without tracing our past mistakes? I don't want to lose the war with my wounded inner child again, but I know I can't watch Jimin drown either. He might've cheated, but it was Jimin... who begged me to save myself. I never listened to his desperation and sincerity until it was too late.

"I'll be right here with you until you're better. Don't worry," I smiled, gently leaning in to kiss his plump lips. Jimin exhaled and pulled me into a tight hug, so I snuggled against his chest and held him close to my body until our breathing matched. We finally fell asleep until the sun rose the next morning.

"Ah! Hajima! I have to go to work!" I whined when Jimin playfully sprinkled the water on me as I stood by the doorway to put on my sneakers. He's restoring my dead garden by watering the dirt. Jimin chuckled when I grimaced at my stained shirt, so I walked toward him with a disapproving glare.

"I'll cook for us tonight. Don't eat out," Jimin smiled, leaning forward to peck my lips. I chuckled and patted his bicep before walking out of my gate and waved at him. He sprinkled the water at me again, making me whine in annoyance. He waved at me with a bright smile, so I finally closed the gate and went to work. There were many batches to deliver at the store today, so I had to stay overtime and didn't finish my work until close to midnight. I called Jimin to inform him I was going to be late, so he told me he had to leave for work as well. I called Jimin's name as soon as I arrived home, but he wasn't back yet. Sighing, I took a shower, then returned to the kicthen to find the meals on the table. Jimin cooked me food before he left, so I carried the plates into the living room when I heard a faint knock on my door. I stared at the door in silence, and for some reason- I was panicking. What if Taehyung sent his thugs to bother me again? I quickly grabbed the frying pan from the kitchen and tiptoed towards the front door. Knock. Knock.

"ARGHHHHH!" I screamed in fright as soon as I swung the door open and swung the frying pan with all my might.

"AH!" Someone shrieked, dodging the frying pan in panic- barely missing the solid steel by an inch. I frantically tried to hit him again after regaining my balance but froze in shock when I found Seokjin crouching on the ground with his hands over his head.

"What- are you doing here?!" I gasped in shock, accidentally dropping the frying pan before him. CLANG. Seokjin flinched in fright and fell back onto his butt. He sat staring at me with his frightened eyes as I gawked at him from the doorway.

"I came to return- your lunchbox," Seokjin gulped, shakily lifting the lunch in his hand.

"Oh. You didn't have to! I'm sorry!" I gasped, quickly grabbing his hand and pulled him onto his feet in embarrassment.

"It's fine," Seokjin swallowed unsurely. He awkwardly handed me the lunchbox, so I slightly lowered my head after accepting it from him.

"Thank you. It's getting late, so have a safe trip home," I shyly smiled at Seokjin and tried to close the door, but it wouldn't shut all the way. What's wrong with the door?

"Your frying pan..." Seokjin muttered from the other side of the door, so I glanced down to find the pan stuck between the gap. Fuck! Why am I such an embarrassment?

"Oh- Oh. Haha. My roommate isn't home today, so I was being cautious since I'm home alone," I chuckled, bending down to grab the pan without looking at Seokjin. I briefly smiled at Seokjin after straightening my back with my bright red cheeks. He was still standing in front of my door with an anxious expression. I tried to close the door again when he suddenly pushed against the door to stop me from shutting it all the way. I froze in place and looked up at him for explanations. Seokjin blinked at me and gulped in silence as he held my door open.

"I- I'm actually here to see you," Kim Seokjin exhaled.

"Neh? Me? Why?" I stared at him in surprise. Seokjin slowly released the door and glanced down at his feet while scratching his head to formulate his reasons.

"Because- I- haven't eaten yet!" Seokjin blurted at me with his eager eyes trained on mine.

"Huh? And what does that have to do with me-"

"I want to talk with you, so let me inside!" Seokjin suddenly whined in an irritated tone. I frowned at his odd behavior, unsurely glancing down at the lunch box before looking back at him.

"Oh... Ah- right. Come in then! How disrespectful of me!" I gasped when I finally understood his intention. He's not here to return the lunchbox. He wants to talk with me. What's the matter? Seokjin quickly walked into my house, slipped off his shoes, and strode into the living room. I closed the door and hurried into the kitchen to put away the lunch box and frying pan before returning to the living room with a set of plates and utensils for him. 

"Uh. It must be uncomfortable to sit on the floor- I should move the meals to the dining table-"

"It's okay. I'm fine with it. Don't bother," Seokjin repeatedly shook his head when I tried to lift the plates. I halted and slowly sat down to face him with my legs crossed. Seokjin was weirdly avoiding my eyes as he examined my dull house interior. I didn't say anything and lowered my face to eat, so he glanced at me and cleared his throat.

"Are you mad at me?" Seokjin questioned. I stopped chewing and looked up at him in surprise.

"What? No. I told you there are no bad feelings between us," I shook my head repeatedly.

"Then why did you try to hit me with a frying pan? I don't think it's normal to greet someone with a pan in their face," Seokjin bluntly stared at me with a curious expression. I grew quiet and stared at him in disbelief. Was he always this... oblivious?

"I wasn't trying to kill you. Don't worry," I weakly chuckled, offering Seokjin a can of beer. Seokjin finally eased his tense body and smiled at me after accepting the beer. He opened it, gulped down a mouthful and ate with a bright beam.

"I'll announce my presence the next time I visit you because I don't want to end up with a crushed skull," Seokjin joked as he ate before me. I bit my lips shyly and shook my head at him.

"Next time? I thought we're not seeing each other anymore," I replied, lifting the beer can to drink from it.

"Ah. About that. The reason I'm here to see you is to apologize for my harsh attitudes," Seokjin exhaled after placing his chopsticks down.

"Apologize? Why would you-"

"I was upset with my brother but took it out on you. It was immature of me. I should've been mindful of my decisions and words. I felt really guilty when you showed up to apologize to me. It wasn't even your fault," Seokjin stared straight at me as he spoke. I grew quiet as I stared at him. He's very mature.

"Ah~ It's fine! We're good! I understand your situation," I chuckled, dismissively waving my hand to reassure him of my feelings. I don't hold grudges, and I'm glad he made an effort to reach out to me.

"Really? You're really not mad?" Seokjin leaned forward with a baffled expression.

"Actually. I'm really mad at you!" I snapped, hastily dropping the chopsticks. Seokjin cutely widened his eyes at me, so I huffed at him and folded my arms with a sour expression.

"You are? Wae?" Seokjin blinked at me with his clueless eyes.

"I'm just joking!" I grinned, reaching out to pat his shoulder. Seokjin scoffed at my teasing behavior and shook his head in relief.

"Wah- You scared me for a moment!" Seokjin gasped while patting his chest. I grinned at him and raised my beer over the table.

"Cheers?" I smiled. Seokjin nodded at me and clinked his can against mine. We smiled at one another and took a mouthful gulp.

"Let's see each other again," Seokjin spoke sternly after placing his beer can down. He stared straight at me without blinking, so I couldn't help but purse my lips at his unexpected statement.

"You said it wasn't working out between us though-"

"It was a lie. I like you. A lot. I have good feelings for you, so I want to see you," Seokjin interrupted with his gaze fixed on mine. I stopped chewing and stared at him until I felt my cheeks burning bright red again. Why is he so straightforward?

"Well, I'm not so sure-"

"Wae? You don't like me?" Seokjin raised his eyebrows- and suddenly, he looked almost as if he was pouting at me. I studied his concerned expression unsurely and glanced away to recollect my thoughts.

"No. I like you too. It's just- I think... it's pointless to pursue our relationship when we know... it's only for family relations. You might not be happy with me. You're a very decent and responsible man, and I am not who you think I am. I'm afraid there will be more misunderstanding between us," I sighed sadly. He doesn't know anything about me. My hidden past. I am not a good person. Besides, I've just accepted Jimin's apologies. What will I tell Jimin now? It's best if we don't see each other anymore because I don't want to be involved with my parents. Jiyoung- Your stepfather will kill you. I know, but I don't want to ruin Seokjin either. I can't do it!

"Our families might think it's only for business purposes, but I'm going to be honest with you. My feelings are genuine. I've had my eyes on you for a while now," Seokjin confessed. Taken aback by his words, I couldn't help but frown at him.

"It sounds like you're scamming me into a relationship with you. But what do you mean you've had your eyes on me for a while? I ran away from home when I was nineteen and was never involved with my parents," I shook my head at him. It doesn't make sense. A stranger suddenly approached me out of nowhere- to tell me he really likes me? And he's the heir of the top chairman in the industry. It's too cynical. I know I like Seokjin, but the motive behind his persistent courtship is very suspicious.

"We've met before. Ever since your father was alive," Seokjin exhaled. Suddenly, all the thoughts left my head, and I blanked out at his words. W-what?

"Ever since my father was... alive?" I whispered, furrowing my eyebrows at him in utter shock. How did he know about my father?

"I only found out recently about your father after my secretary informed me. I didn't know he passed. But we've met, and I know you don't remember me because you were quite young, but we've met before Lee Jiyoung," Seokjin exhaled, stunning me in my seat. My eyes bulged open in shock when Seokjin called me by my real name. H-How did he- What is this-?

Flashback: 10 years ago - Jiyoung was 14 Years Old.

Third Person POV

A young man in his early adulthood fled through the pouring rain in tears as he gripped tightly onto a soaked piece of paper with a bag swung over his shoulder. Kim Seokjin collapsed onto the muddy sidewalk when his feet suddenly caught on a rock, sending him tumbling across the rough ground. The young heir screwed his face in pain with his fists clenched when he felt the relentless despair tearing through his body. He hopelessly pounded his aching chest and lowered his face to wail in the rainstorm until the stinging droplets abruptly stopped pouring on him. Seokjin gulped and looked up in confusion to find a teenage girl standing by his side with a plain blue umbrella. Slightly smiling at him, she crouched by his side with a worried expression as Seokjin sat on the dirty ground in tears.

"Are you okay?" Jiyoung questioned, offering Seokjin a clean handkerchief. Seokjin blinked at the young girl before him in tears, so she pushed the teddy bear printed cloth into his hand as she held the umbrella over his head to shield him from the freezing cold downpour.

Seokjin averted his tearful eyes to the name tag on her school uniform: Lee Jiyoung.

End of Flashback

"Drive home safely," I weakly smiled as I followed Seokjin out of the gate.

"I'll be waiting for your answer," Seokjin turned to smile at me.

"Answer?" Someone spoke up. I sucked in my breath when we turned to find Jimin strolling toward us with his hand in his pocket. Shit.

"Oh. Jiyoung's roommate," Seokjin greeted. Jimin darted me a questioning look but played along as he got to us.

"Park Jimin," Jimin nodded while examining Seokjin.

"I came by to return Jiyoung's lunch box. I will leave now knowing she won't be home alone anymore," Seokjin slightly nodded at Jimin and walked towards his car. We watched Seokjin steer his car out of the street until he disappeared.

"Are you alright? You look pale," Jimin turns to look at me.

"Oh. I'm fine," I nodded. Jimin threw his arm over my shoulder and dragged me back inside.

"I got you this. I played with the local claw machine on my way home," Jimin smiled, handing me a teddy bear keychain. I took it from him with a faint smile, so Jimin gently pecked my lips and strode into the bathroom. I slipped the keychain into my pocket, lifted the plates to put them in the sink and did the dishes. I zoned out while thinking of Seokjin's words, deeply sighing every few minutes as I scrubbed the dishes. I blinked out of my thoughts and grabbed the towel to dry the dishes when I felt a pair of strong arms slithering around my waist.

"Did you eat with him?" Jimin muttered with his chin rested on my shoulder.

"Oh. Thanks for the food. I saved some for you," I nodded as I placed the plates away, then turned to find Jimin standing before me in his towel. He wasn't dressed. I gulped at him when I noticed his soaking hot torso. He's making me horny again!

"You seem nervous," Jimin whispered, tilting his head to the side as he placed his arms on either side of my waist.

"I'm just a bit uneasy because you're barely covered," I chuckled, dismissively reaching out to ruffle his wet hair.

"Huh? Is that so?" Jimin smirked while staring at me with his sexy eyes and leaned forward to kiss me. I chuckled and wrapped my arms around his neck as he pressed his body against mine, so I ran my hand over his abs and tilted my head to kiss him. Jimin slipped his hands under my shirt to fondle my bare body, lifting me off the floor and carried me to the couch. I moaned in distress when he slipped his hand under my waistband to touch me in between my legs, making me tremble at his sensual strokes.

"Aren't you hungry?" I whispered against his lips.

"Yeah. I want you," Jimin sensually kissed my cheeks, so I giggled and tugged his towel until it slipped off his V-line and tossed it aside as Jimin remained over me. He lifted my shirt over my head and lowered his face to kiss me as I gripped onto his back dimples, tilting my head backward when I felt his penetration. He gently moved his hips in a slow and steady motion, making me curl my toes in satisfaction. He moaned against my lips and sped up his pace until I felt my crotch burning from the intensity as he pounded between my legs.

Fast Forward

I was walking home alone after my late shift when I heard footsteps rushing toward me from behind, but before I could turn- I felt a firm grip over my mouth. My eyes grew open in panic when a few men dragged me down the empty street, so I thrashed wildly and tried to scream, but it was useless because I was outnumbered. My heart started pounding in fear as they dragged me into a van and slammed the door shut after shoving me inside.

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Hello~ How is everyone doing~? I made it on time hehe! I wrote this chapter today, edited it today and finalized it today lmao. I hope it wasn't boring? I'm so nervous these days lmao. And I'm listing this story as MATURE. Just in case. But thank you so much for supporting Love Candidate! You guys are the sweetest people on earth! Idk what I'll do without you T_T Please take care of your health and stay safe~! I love you <3