Chaeyoung PoV

Somehow, I struggled to keep my eyes off him after the dream that I had. He was exercising in his man-cave at the basement, usually he'd be wearing his grey tank top and walk up back upstairs with a more manly body, all so sweaty and muscle-y. At some point during the week, Jungkook thought I was sick because I keep staring into blank space. 

I wasn't sick, I was left wow-ed by the dream that I had. Every Saturday was my day to cook breakfast, lunch and dinner, unluckily, Saturday is his "work out" day and when he came up upstairs, I just licked my spoon unknowingly. Jungkook said I should really see a doctor because I licked a spoon that I just took out from the dispenser. 

"I'm really fine," I said, pouring my milk into the bowl of cereals. "Look, something is on my mind recently but it's nothing too serious."

He raised his eye brow and looked at me with a very curious face, "Is it that time of the month?"

I didn't get it. Of course, I know what that time of the month is for ladies but I never tell him. Keeping track of your 28 days is just too personal for me. Especially to this guy. 

But really, I have never told him if it was that time of the month. 

"Okay, so it's no - just by looking at your expression," he says and takes a bite of his cereals. "Aha, is it Jimin-hyung?"

I put down my spoon, "Really, Jungkook. It's nothing. It's stupid."

"Like...?"

My eyes roam around the room. On one of his refrigerators, there is this digital calendar on it and a touch-screen where we can draw. September 1 is encircled in red and written below the date was "JK's B-DAY". 

"I-I was thinking of when and what I should get you for your birthday," I quickly said, my eyes still looking at the calendar. 

Jungkook paused for a bit and looked at me strangely. I smiled quickly to avoid the awkwardness and the suspiciousness although, I think I made myself more suspicious by actually smiling at him. 

His birthday is tomorrow and out of all the excuses in the world, I had to say that. I didn't even remember it's his birthday. Why did I even have to say that I was thinking of what to get him, I live with this idiot but I don't even know a single thing about him. Like what kind of fashion he likes, what perfume scents he likes, what kind of things he likes.

I am so frustrated at myself because I had to say a stupid reason. 

"Seriously," he drank his orange juice. "Are you alright? You are...not bullying me. That's a first ever since we have met."

"I'm fine, really! I'm just being thoughtful because the idiot allowed me to stay in this house when I had no place to live, you tried to find me and convinced me out of this suicidal mess I was in," I shrugged. "My way of saying 'thank you'....???"

He laughs, "Chaeyoung, it's fine."

My heart made a pouty face. 

Even if I was frustrated because I said a stupid reason, my heart did otherwise. It felt so upset and heavy, and for some reason it started to want to buy a gift for the idiot I dreamt of. 

Unknowingly, I made a pouty face because Jungkook's snapping brought my mind to the present. He was laughing because I looked angry but still trying to look cute. All of a sudden, his words made me feel happy for a second but I felt like buying a present. 

"You know what, the best present would be not getting me one. I'm totally fine," he says and stands up from his chair to bring the bowl to the kitchen. 

I stand up as well, bringing my bowl, "I object!"

He continued laughing. 

"I want to give my thanks, and I can be kind sometimes," I said, with my lips curling upwards. Jungkook starts washing the bowls while I placed liquid soap into the dishwasher. "Come on, I want to do something nice."

Jungkook hands me our bowls and our utensils while I put them inside the dishwasher, "Okay, let me think."

"It can be expensive, I'm not cheap. I have no job but I don't waste my money, at least."

"Yeah, right," he scoffs then hands me the glasses. "A package from the online store came last week. Not just one, I brought in 15 packages. 3 bags, 2 sets of jewelries, 3 bottoms, 2 crop tops, 1 dress, 1 cardigan, 1 pair of sandals, 1 scarf, and 1 sweater. Oh, did I forget how many times I picked up packages of make-up and over-sized t-shirts? You are a terrible money-conserver."

My hands were folded, "Hey! As a Catholic, God says don't be blinded with money! I am giving my money to the store so that they can earn! I am sharing, not spending!" 

"Hey! I am a devotee to God, as well--"

"But you don't have the right to speak about spending and sharing money because you are a businessman who makes and sells products so that people can buy them! Not only that, you even promote them! You are a fake devotee!" I yelled before he said his explanation. 

He looked like he had something to say but quickly turned away to wipe his hands on the hand towel, "You know what, I'll take the birthday present."

My heart leaped, "Good choice."

While Jungkook thought about his birthday, I turned on the dishwasher and looked at the pantry. I'm allowed to go to the mall today, Jungkook will be having a meet-up with the same friends I saw in Starbucks while I have to go to the grocery and I can go stores. 

You have to update your closets once-in-a-while, especially now that there are no brands who can give me free giveaways. Resigning my job was the worst thing I've ever did in my whole life. 

"So?" I asked, finishing my inventory checking in our pantry. 

"A home-made dinner with you," he quickly replies. 

My heart leaps again. 

"Why make dinner? Go eat out or something? Aren't you like...going to celebrate with your friends?" 

He smiles and looks at me, "Purposely didn't make plans. I wanted to have a movie night downstairs. My birthday gift: a nice, home-made dinner with you." 

My heart leaps again. Jungkook walks out of the kitchen, reminding me to go up and prepare because we're on a time limit in the mall. I hurriedly follow him upstairs.

After our ride, I went to the grocery with Jungkook and tried to look for the things in our pantry that aren't present. We both wore masks so that we wouldn't be identified by other people. Besides, it's kind of normal that people in Korea wear masks whether they are sick or not. 

He and I drop our grocery things back at his car and then we headed to the mall where he will meet up with his friends. I got dropped off at a different entrance so that we wouldn't cross each other's pass. 

It was always like this when we decide to go to the mall every Saturday. Make sure we only meet up again at the same spot I was dropped off. 

When I first entered the huge building area, I quickly go to a store that sells men's perfumes. There were so many scents. I sprayed each one to the testing paper, smelling and trying to pick which one Jungkook would like. 

His perfume scent in the car was close to something sweet, so I chose a sweet-citrusy scent. I quickly paid but when I turned around, it was that guy Namjoon from Starbucks a few weeks ago. 

"Sorry, miss," he said. 

I bowed and avoided eye-contact with him then ran out of the store. When I stepped out, I had to turn the other direction and walk the longer way to the candle store. It was because another 2 friends of Jungkook were standing outside the perfume's store, I think their names were Yoongi and Bambam. 

I speed-walked inside the candle store, hoping to find a calm-down scent remedy for myself. They say that a nice smell to your room makes you feel relaxed and can help you sleep. I picked whatever candle-scent I had in my room, paid and walked away as soon as I saw Jungkook's mother also picking one. 

Again, I speed-walked towards the Lindt store, I see the 3 guys from the perfume store entering the store I am so again, I picked the flavors that I liked and quickly paid. 

Following the 'avoid-people' series, I walked to the Montblanc store, hoping to buy a nice wallet - the only real birthday present I could think of at the moment - for the idiot who has so many friends at the same area in the mall. I could barely catch my breath because of all the running. Good thing there was no one around here at Montblanc, I took my time to look at the wallets and eventually picked one and paid. 

The last thing that I wanted to get for Jungkook was this men's ring. When I had that dream, the next day, I saw Jungkook looking at the internet for this men's ring. He said it looked cool but he couldn't buy it because it might not look nice on him. So then, as my heart told me, I went out to look for a store that sells the ring. 

I searched in the internet how it looked like before entering the store, the salesman said the don't have the same brand but they have something that looks like it. I tried imagining the size of Jungkook's wring finger. Maybe it's twice the size of mine? I didn't know, and I just tried guessing it. I asked the salesman to take off the price and wrap it well, so it took a while. 

While waiting for the ring, I heard Jimin and Lisa entering the store. They were both fighting because, from what I hear, Jimin was looking for me and telling Lisa that Jungkook doesn't know where I am nor does he have any intention to find me. I didn't know anything about this but I guess, I had an idea this would happen. 

Lisa replied that maybe Jungkook just didn't want to cause me any more trouble and she asked Jimin why did Jungkook have to be the one to look for me when he can do it himself. Before Lisa could continue her scolding, she asked a salesman to get a certain ring for her then she faced Jimin and told him that maybe I am just tired of everyone's nagging. 

"She can't be tired of everyone's nagging, everyone has been nagging at her for her entire life. She should be used to it. Besides, I'm just trying to protect her," Jimin tells her. 

Lisa folds her arms and checks out the ring, "She is different from us. We grew up differently, a life that was set to be part of this business world while she grew up normally. She doesn't have robotic and prideful feelings as us. Now, if she were a businesswoman then I'd be scared of that woman because she'll probably be a dead-serious businesswoman. Thankfully, she's not. She's actually living a normal life and trying to step out of the shadow everybody made for her."

She tells the salesman she'll get the ring and turned to Jimin, "Besides, are you even protecting her or are you hurting her? In my point of view, Jungkook would probably be the only person in this world who could understand and feel the same way as her. Those two are like shattered plate pieces, only Jungkook didn't break into tinier specs." 

I stood up as soon as the salesman gave me the bag. I've finished my tasks, my heart didn't feel as jolly as it was trying to look for a nice birthday gift for the idiot. 

My mind said that Lisa was partly right. Both of us were like shattered plates, he broke into bigger pieces while I broke into small ones. It's hard to glue the plate with smaller broken pieces together again. 

Instead of waiting for 2:30 for Jungkook, I took the taxi back home. It wasn't because I felt bad about what Lisa said, everything she said was right. Maybe Jimin wasn't protecting me, maybe he was starting to hurt me from what he has been doing. I went home ahead of Jungkook because - for whatever reason my life gave me - I wanted to make a nice birthday gift for the idiot. 

When I arrived inside the house, I text Jungkook and quickly lock my room to make this present. I write down on the stationary - that I impulsively bought - and arranged the presents inside the gift boxes - that, again, I impulsively bought. 

30 minutes later, I hear banging in my room. I was still learning how to tie the box using one string. Jungkook was knocking on the door, endlessly. 

"Park Chae Young!" he shouted. 

I panicked for a second. All of my gift preparation materials were scattered on the floor, my markers, stationary, pens, wrapping paper, the gifts themselves. They were all over the floor. I had to think of something before he might try to bust the door open using his strength. 

So, without time to think, I started making crying noises. 

"Wha? Are you crying? What happened? Open this door, right now!" he shouted from the other side. 

"Get out! Don't go near me!" I said, faking everything, while trying to push all the things under my bed. 

"We were alright a while ago, what's the matter?" 

After pushing everything under my bed, I went to my dressing table and scribble on my face with make up to make it look like I've cried then I shouted, "You are the worst person ever!"

"Go out of your room and let's talk this out," he said. "No fighting, house rules, remember?"

Once I've finished making it look like I cried, I walk to the door and opened it. 

He sighed, "What's the matter?" 

Again, my mind had to do quick thinking. There was nothing that came into my mind that gave me the reason to get angry with him. He wasn't supposed to be here, he was supposed to be having an afternoon cafe meet up with his friends. 

I didn't understand why my text had to rattle him like this. 

I pretend sobbed, finally having a reason, "You didn't tell me that Jimin-oppa was looking for me?! You didn't even offer to help him!" 

"But Chae, we talked about thi--"

"You are the worst person ever!" I fake cried.

He put his hands up in the air, "Okay, okay, what do you want me to do? Tell hyung that I'll participate in his search party? You are literally found, you are living in the house our parents bought us."

I fake sobbed, "I just wanted a...a...a hug."

"A hug? What? Why?"

"Because I..." I pointed to myself. "I am so touched by what oppa said!" 

"You saw hyung today?!"

I cried louder and then he opened his arms, "Okay, okay, now, shhhhhh!!!" 

Once my acting died down, Jungkook left my room and decided not to run back to the gathering with his friends. Instead, he stayed downstairs, watching a movie or probably watering the plants that I showed off to him a week earlier. 

When night came, he and I decided to go for the unhealthy. Cup ramen, chips, junk food and soda. We talked and talked until late evening. Just about random things. He talked about his childhood and how he's not ready to take the company yet. I told him about what Lisa and Jimin discussed then Jungkook agreed to everything. 

He never had a 'normal' life until I had moved in here. He always thought he'd have to eat fancy because of how he was raised and taught, nowadays he just preferred home-food. Wearing formal attires at home instead of wearing home clothes. The attitude and behavior when it came to work. 

We also had small talk about our families. Pressure, annoyed, anger and everything we wanted to rant. By 10:30 PM, we separated ways to our rooms. 

Everything in the house turned silent while I waited for 12 midnight. Jungkook's room still had a yellow light, from what I can see under the door. I watched videos to pace the time, and I started to shake when 12 midnight drew closer. 

I checked my phone's clock again, it was already a minute closer to 12 midnight. I quietly leave my room and walk towards his. From outside, I can hear him talking on the phone about his work or maybe it's him talking to his friends about work. 

I knocked on the door 3 times and it took a while for him to open it. But once he did, he looked tired. I peeked inside, there were a bunch of papers and his computer was turned on on top of the table. 

I lift the present, "Happy birthday to you~" 

His tired expression lightened up. 

Again, for the nth time this day, my heart leaped. For the first time, I felt like I was wanted. 

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long chapter! got to manage my time so that i could write. 

see you next update!!

artemis1265---