Chapter 36: Shopping

     I couldn't concentrate in Japanese class. The words I had studied the other night slipped right out of my mind and I was left staring blankly at a packet full of words I didn't understand.      I glance over at Tae, his pencil in hand scribbling quick answers to every question. 'How is he so smart?!'      I ended up finishing it feeling not very confident at all. The whole day went something like that. Lunch was the only time for my to wind down except for the fact that tonight was still a thing and there was still that party.      "What's your GPA?" Jiwoo asks, allowing my thoughts to catch back up to me.      "Uh...3.5 I think," I reply, my face growing red at the lower grade than most of my fellow students in my classes.      "Not bad," she nods, looking back down at her screen which was pulled up to Snapchat.      "What're you doing?" I ask as Yoongi and I meet eyes at each other's lockers. I give him a small wave that he gladly returns just as Jiwoo replies.     "My brother wants to know. He really wants you to come to that bonfire Friday," she explains. Yoongi straightens up from the lockers and makes his way over to me, his smile still plastered on his round face. Jiwoo quickly glances up at the sight of the man leaning his arm against the lockers over my head almost in a protective gesture. "Oh, hi Yoongi."     "Hey. I hope you weren't planning on riding with Dea today," he starts, my head slanting up to shoot him a questioning look, "because I plan on taking her to the mall this afternoon."     Her eyes grow wide, exchanging glances between us as she does so. "She's all yours." She grins a catlike grin: mischievous and sly. "Have fun, you two!"     "Jiwoo!" I snap, wanting her to come back for me, but her back stays pointing towards me as Hoseok joins her side. A held in breath is slowly released through my flared nostrils, Yoongi's head lowering down to grin at me. "Why...in the world...did you say that?" I ask in a calm yet sharp tone, not looking up at him as I do so.     "Because..." he pauses, just as I had done. He circles in around me so he now stood in front. Raising a relaxed hand, he places it under my chin where he lifts it up to meet his eyes. "Every girl deserves something nice to wear on the day of their first kiss."      His lips stretch into a gummy smile that heated my heart. "I...wh-what?"     Clicking his tongue, he takes my hand and drags me out of the hallway and into the slightly crowded common room. "But I don't want to go shopping...especially with you!" I snap, trying to pull back but ending up only being pulled harder. "Hey!"     "You keep this up and I'll carry you to the car," he threatens, my fits coming to an immediate stop that gave me a satisfactory smile. "Today is the day I'll treat you to an outfit you can pick, no matter the price," he explains, opening the passenger door for me and shoving me in.     I sit uncomfortably in the seat as he joins my side in the driver's side. "You aren't buying me anything because I'm not gonna choose anything," I declare, crossing my arms and holding my head high. He pulls out of the parking lot while shaking his head at my response.     "Oh, we'll see about that," he chuckles as we make our way to the freeway. "I'll show you designer stores that'll make you wish you hadn't said that."     I scoff at those words. "I'm happy with what I have, thank you very much," I say sarcastically. "I don't need you to try to convert me."     He whips his head my way, his face showered in confusion. "I'm not trying to make you turn into a rich, spoiled girl if that's what you mean," he chuckles, cars passing us left and right, only for him to speed up faster. 'Why is he in such a hurry anyways? He's making this way more dramatic and embarrassing than it needs to be.' "What's wrong with treating you?"     "You hate me."     "I don't hate you," he chuckles while shaking his head just as we exit into a big part of the city where one of many malls were held. "And I know you don't hate me," he grins, my cheeks only growing redder at the looks he was giving me.      "Says who?" I scoff as we pull into the mall parking lot. He parks close to the front and exits before he could reply. I open the door myself before he could do so. We then walk across the parking lot and into the entrance of the mall, my feet purposely dragging my behind him.      'How embarrassing,' I think, hugging my arms as I watch multiple girls lay their eyes on Yoongi. I wasn't going to lie; he was very good looking and it was no wonder many girls fell for him.     He suddenly stops though and whips around with a single eyebrow raised. "Why're you lagging behind? Get up here," he says, taking my hand in his and pulling me up to him. My cheeks burn at the sensation and feeling of eyes landing on us. 'Why do people care so much...god.'     He notices my sudden shyness and the sight of me almost trying to hide behind him. "Don't hide. Let them look at my beautiful, fake girlfriend," he murmurs to me before looking back up, just as I shoot up at his words.      He didn't look back down at me though. In fact, his smile was slightly faded and his cheeks flushed bright pink. 'Beautiful...he just called me beautiful...'      I don't say anything...neither of us could so a bit after that comment. He had called me beautiful, something I didn't think would be coming out of his mouth.      "Right, try Chanel first," he says, pulling me into a store surrounded by security guards in the inside. They took one look at Yoongi and let him roam around with me being dragged shortly behind.      "Gosh, I don't belong here," I murmur to myself as every corner of the white and black designed store shimmered in my eyes, almost taunting me with their hidden price tags and my empty pockets.      "You don't have to," he replies. I was surprised he even heard me. "Just...find something you like and if you can't, we can try other stores," he smiles, looking down at me with a soft expression that brought me reassurance. My hand slips out of his as he ventures off to the jewelry counter while I was left to explore the store on my own.