49

Mission rolling in. Reporting to the headquarters with an updated relationship status.

Soldier Kang Haerin is now officially romantically involved—although secretly—with her once nemesis, Jeon Jungkook. Over.

Mission: Blush it and Flush it/ Kimchi with Kang.Time: 2:00 PMTarget: Jeon Jungkook.Mission objective: To disarm Jeon Jungkook's emotional armour and turn him beet red beyond repair. Thus, gaining control over the romantic programme.Current task: To safely transport the said bastard to my secret lunch spot before my intestines self-implode with starvation.Target's current location: I checked my tracker—the elevator.Destination: the service stairway of the fifth floor, aka, my secret spot.

Target had proven to be extremely demanding—of my patience, of my instructions, of the fucking teamwork! I was turning fucking nuts, starving and irritated at how slow Mr Government Bus was moving. For a second, in a world that's upside down, let's think that he actually is trying his best to arrive as quickly as he can. Well, bitch clearly isn't. His trying wasn't going to give me an orgasm when he received the privilege of satiating me, was it? So no. No amount of trying was going to impress me. God, did I just assume that we would fuck? Kill me please...?

For safety reasons and the peace of my mind, I was tracking this bastard on my phone. He had very obediently shared his location the moment I had asked for it. Doggy style? Check.

Every time his voice turned professional through the phone speaker to talk to one of his corporate bitches, I wanted to puke. It was only occurring to me now that he couldn't be left alone for one second. People were so eager to talk to this desperate alpha male that it wasn't even funny. Those people had no idea that he'd let me paint his face just to be my boyfriend. Heh.

My tiffin box was sad and probably spoiling itself so I deserved the diarrhoea it was about to give me later from the rotten rebel.

I sat with my legs folded, the phone tight in my grip as I heard him give his location inaccurately. This was hell. How did he even manage being a director with no sense of direction whatsoever? Absolutely ridiculous.

"Where is the target now?"

He snickered. He fucking WHAT NOW?

He cleared his throat and then muttered, "Target arriving on the fifth floor now. Over."

I blinked, my teeth grinding, "Is that so? Your next order is to jump off the nearest window, Mr Jeon. As soon as you smell like your oversmart tendencies, that is."

I fixed my skirt, stretching my legs over the stairs. I lapped them over each other. My butt was turning into a soft and flat stone. I had been sitting here for fifteen minutes. He was about to face some serious consequences for this.

"I'm sorry, darling." His voice meshed with the speaker as he tried to whisper.

My face exploded. Was he fucking serious? Was he already experimenting with all this stuff on me? There was no way I could give in to this malicious manipulator of physical reactions. My uterus was already opening a fan club for his darling entries and it wasn't fair!

"I am serious about this." He promised. "Let's start over. What next? Fifth floor and then?"

I began fanning my face hard, holding the speaker closer to my lips as I said, "No problem, Handsome. How about my sweet raisin turn towards the service stairway that's closed?"

Silence.

Sweet raisin? Raisin? Really, Haerin? Out of all the juicy fruits you could have chosen, you opted for the one that looks like it died first. This type of stupidity needed a medal of honour, really.

But what was done was done. I was beet red with shame but I wished twice the embarrassment upon him. I could be stupid but not a coward. I didn't want to back down on this shit.

This silence continued, his footsteps patting in the background. At least he was walking because any more waiting was going to make me jump off the service stairway.

"What's wrong, baby? Have you found the stairway ye—"

The baby had, in fact, found the stairway then. It was standing before me, swallowing me whole with the shadow of a flustered face. I blinked up at him, my jaw parting because what the fuck do you even say being caught live in the act?

My thumb found the button to end the call.

Back up, back up, BACK UP!

"Did you think you're the only one who can be all pasty with your relationship freebies?" I said, rolling my eyes and dying on the inside because that wasn't even making any fucking sense. It simply wasn't. My face itched from the heat.

What was I trying to do? What?

"Relationship freebies?" He stepped closer and I blanched. Fuck.

Dismantle me. My operating system has collapsed. My parachute is a knapsack!

"Yeah..." My voice shook but I pretended that it didn't matter at all. "All that darling you're throwing at me. I can do that too, you know?"

His lips quirked and he slowly approached the stairs, sitting down on the step lower than mine. He was still taller. He stretched his long legs, parting his knees and leaning back on the railing so that he had a fuller view of me.

I blinked at him and then at his veiny hand hanging from his knee.

"Where's your lunch?"

He mirrored my actions and then balanced his elbow on his knee, chin settled on the heel of his palm. His gaze hovered over my face so hard I was afraid he would see how messily I had applied my mascara today. His eyes settled on my mouth, quickly giving it a once-over as if he was memorising me.

Wait...

Was this man admiring...me?

"When you said you had a secret spot, I hadn't expected it to be the half-constructed side of the building." He scoffed, his thumb rubbing his chin.

My throat bobbed and this fucker noticed that too.

"Then leave with a capital L." I rolled my eyes, unlidding my lunchbox and grabbing my chopsticks.

Who the fuck—

"I'm not saying I don't like it. It's very private. It's perfect." He explained, his grin growing wider. I was going to stick these chopsticks in his eyes if he didn't stop that. "Do you always eat here?" He asked when I stuffed my face with a kimbap.

I nodded, concentrating on chewing it and swallowing it down my throat. He waited patiently, watching me eat with intention. I swear it felt like he was rethinking this relationship entirely.

His thumb reached my lips and I froze stupid for a second. Deliberately, he wiped the corner of my mouth, revealing the sauce I had smeared on me.

Fuck.

His eyes flicked, face bright red too as he tasted the sauce himself. His throat bobbed, eyes darkening for a split second and returning as if he had gone too far in his head.

Man was he always going to do that?? Because I was dying every time he did!

"Yes, I eat here." I shrugged, picking the next kimbap and stretching it out to him. "It's quiet and I don't feel like killing myself here."

Jungkook's face fell, already scarlet when he realised I was feeding him. And that, Ladies, is how you make a man blush while your own face is in ashes.

He opened his mouth so wide that the kimbap looked small. But he ate it obediently and gave me a thumbs-up to indicate that it was good. The bastard wiped his mouth before I had the chance to clean his lip too. It would have been fun seeing his reaction.

I smirked. Brat.

"Pack your lunch next time and we can eat here. If you want to, that is." I shrugged and then stalled my chopsticks in the air, "Doesn't your mother get you lunch or something?"

He glanced at me and then sighed, "That's—I don't really want her to do that. I told her to stop. She doesn't get them anymore."

"Okay. So, can you pack your own lunch or do you have selective paralysis that doesn't let you do that?" I snarled. His knees shifted, brushing against mine that were already squeezed in a corner now.

It was like he was claiming my space.

He chuckled and dragged his teeth over his lower lip. "I can pack my lunch, yes. I do cook." His eyes flicked up to mine again, this time stealing a look at my neck. "I just don't enjoy my own cooking that much."

His lips glistened when he smiled. It was the kimbap.

Usually, I wouldn't think this much, but we were alone and in a very private place so yes, my thoughts did wander off to him stroking the inside of my mouth with his thumb. Just once. I was forced to wonder if I was allowed to insert my fingers in his mouth too.

Ahem. Ahem.

Back out, you fucking creep Haerin.

"Do you want me to get lunch for you or do you not like this spot?" I dug the sticks in the box, trying to kill the bad thoughts there.

"I can never not like something that you do." He promised in that same cheesy tone and I wanted to jump off the building. "So, it should be the former. Of course, I'll never ask you to. I can get my own lunch—"

"It's okay." I pressed my cheek with the back of my hand because this wasn't a joke anymore. My face was literally on fire. "I'll get you lunch." I quickly glanced at him and then stuffed more food into my mouth to avoid looking at him anymore.

When I breathed, his perfume mixed in my throat. I was literally eating Jungkook-flavoured kimbap. Okay, that sounded wrong but—meh.

God, how was I ever going to act normal? This was ridiculous and all because of this cybersecurity jerk. Damn him.

"I don't want you to slog for me, Miss Kang. That's my job for you." He slightly touched the back of my knees as if to assure me. But he touched the back of my KNEES!

Oh my god. My heart. My heart was about to burst and explode on him!

"It's just lunch." I stabbed the chopsticks harder, eyes fixated on the box. I swallowed, "And you're my..."

My eyes flicked up at him at the wrong time. This bastard was smirking.

"I'm your what?"

Fuck. There we went.

"Slave." I deadpanned, beet red. "So feeding you is my job."

His eyes glinted in the worst way possible. "Are you into all that stuff, darling?"

"Don't darling me!" I smacked his arm, "I'll stab you!" I raised my chopsticks to threaten him and he laughed.

I chuckled too and we stayed like that, laughing, for another minute with nothing on our minds. He straightened himself, his knees now touching mine more possessively than before—like he had sensed my consent. I blushed harder.

Slowly, his smile faded. He tilted his head to get a better angle to view me, "Miss Kang, can you tell me exactly what that brother of your teammate said to offend you?"

My hands stilled.

I gripped the sticks just as tightly as Jungkook gripped his knees. Our knuckles were turning white.

"I'm sorry, I just can't get it out of my head. I want to know what that bastard said to you."

"Nothing!" I weakly hit his shoulder, shoving my hair behind my ear. I cleared my throat. "He just phrased it poorly—it wasn't that bad."

"But I worry," his voice softened. He tucked a strand of my hair behind my ear that I had failed to tuck, tracing the curve of my jaw as he did.

My eyes flickered away, embarrassed but I couldn't stop liking the way he was so gentle when he touched me. His veiny hands had to be having a hard time adjusting the strength of his grip. I hoped they did. The struggle and the need for him to be gentle only made it hotter. But I confessed that I wanted to see just how hard he could grab me when coming undone.

Like a fucking challenge or something to see how far he goes. Maybe I was demented or something. Weird. I know. I couldn't think of this with him looking at me like that.

"I'm not convinced but I'll believe you." He nodded, taking his hand away too soon. "So, how about Friday night?"

"Friday night?" My brows jumped.

He nodded, "Yeah. You and me. Dinner?"

Oh goodness. My face grew hotter. This bastard was Michael Jackson smooth!

My thighs pressed tightly against each other. "Are you asking me out on a date, Jeon Jungkook?" My lips curled and I bit my lip.

His eyes were digging holes through my skin. He was officially a laser beam to me. "Yes. Let me show you a good time, Kang Haerin."

I tried to hide my face, squealing in the crook of my arm. "It feels so weird when you say it like that!"

He laughed in heartbeats. "How adorable. Tell me. Friday night, good?"

I lowered my arm, glancing at him and struggling to stop grinning like a fool. "What time are we talking about? Seven? I finish work at five."

His hand touched my knee again when he smiled. "I was hoping you could leave early on Friday. Maybe by four? Considering the time you will need to get pretty for me, and us enjoying something nice before we have dinner around eight."

I blinked speechlessly.

He smiled, "And by no means do I mean that you're not pretty already. I'd drag you for now if you'd let me."

I giggled shyly, "It's a date, Mr Jeon. Dressing up well is a type of respect for the other person. Of course, I should get pretty."

He laughed, almost drunk in the way he was looking at me. "You'll leave early on Friday then?"

I brushed his hand off my knee to tease him. "Maybe. I'll have to speak to Mr Min. Can I Cirq you?" He didn't mind. Instead, he began packing the lunch box back for me.

"You can do whatever you want, darling. I'll wait." He assured me and I almost kicked my feet like a little girl. Keyword: almost.

Once we had packed our things, I dusted myself off and decided to leave first so that no one would notice us. He followed me to the service gate.

"Text me when you're back at your place!" I turned and whispered quickly before running in the other direction.

I had officially failed this mission but Jungkook hadn't won either and that was enough peace for me.

•••

"You want to leave early?" Mr Min glanced up from his desk.

I nodded quickly, "Yes. I know a lot of work is piling up on us but I can clear it all by Thursday."

He waited, checked my face and fixed his glasses. "I mean, sure. If you can manage the Verity data submission by Thursday so that I have enough time to refer to it on my own on Friday."

Verity data? Fuck that data! I wanted to kick the table and tell Mr Min to officially reveal to the Verity clients that Haerin was officially dating. She needed to get the fuck out of this stupid roof before she started looking like the Outlook logo. Go ahead and say it, Mr Min.

But he didn't bat an eye piling up the shit on me.

Mr Min had been pissed off with me ever since the cab incident. I didn't blame him. I hated myself just as bad. And I knew that this was kind of my fault because why the hell was I always so adamant about handling everything alone? One of these days I was going to get the biggest spank ever from this life for trying too hard.

And honestly, I was desperate like that. I just needed things to fix themselves up. Involving other people created unwanted chaos.

But—of course—the cab incident would be the exception to the rule. Mr Min deserved to know it. And why did I even leap at that fucking transport desk bitch? Because of that, I was not stuck with the Verity data. Ripple effect.

"Any problem with that?" Mr Min asked when I had spent an unusual amount of time cursing him in my head.

"No—No!" I laughed, nervous. "It's alright. I'll send that data to you first thing Friday morning?"

"That would be great, Miss Kang." He smiled briefly, too engrossed in the computer screen before me. Or maybe he just hated me now. It could be anything but the latter was logical.

I spun around, unimpressed with my skills as I left his office and returned to my desk, opening the screen to Jungkook's message waiting for me on Cirq.

I was going to have to manage my time on Thursday to recover well on Friday. And Jungkook was right. I damn well would need to change up and get pretty.

Fuck this society for making women's business so time-consuming.

I was already mentally charting up my entire Friday's beauty regime when I informed Jungkook that I was fine with the date as he had planned.

I could manage this well. I was going to knock myself off on Thursday to clear my work. So that no bitch in this office could ask me why I left early on Friday. And Mr Min would fall to his knees and beg me to forgive him when I handed him the Verity data on Friday morning. It might be difficult for him to give his ego up and sink to his knees but I would be merciful and remind everyone that nothing is more important than getting dolled up for a date with your hot boyfriend.

That's right. Nothing else.