"Holy shit!" She grabbed her chest, as if trying to still her racing heart. Her eyes diverted between him and the big slice of cake he brought back to the table.

"With a mouth like that, how can I not picture you back at the club?" He laughs.

"Stop recalling it, please! And so loud too," Lisa sighed a frown then pouts. "I thought you're taking a small one..." Ahhh she's fucking adorable!!

"It's for sharing. I've decided!" 

"Why didn't you get two plates?"

Pshh... "I'm sharing a plate with my evening date and that's that," The things I do to impress this girl. "You kept saying how good it was -" He didn't get to finish the sentence as he watched the cake on her fork crumbled to her lap. 

"Shit - no! My dress!" 

"Yeap, definitely back at the club," He snickered. How cute is she when she swears like this??

"What can I say...you bring out the worst in me,"

Jungkook handed the serviettes as he giggled. "Your definition of 'worst' is different than mine,"

"I need the restroom. Don't finish the cake without me," He smiled as she left the seat to visit the Ladies. 

With Lisa gone, Jungkook is finally able to view the bigger picture of the event. Guests mingling from one to another. All smiles and enjoying food and drinks, everyone seems preoccupied with enjoying the evening in their own ways. A sudden tap on his shoulder made him turn. 

"I thought it was you!" Taehyung's boxy grin is emphasised with his sleek-combed hair and dapper suit. 

"Ahh Taehyung-ssi," He got up and shook hands with the guy.

"I saw you a while ago but you seemed a little pre-occupied," The smirk is not lost on him. "By the way -" A pair of hands suddenly wrapped around Taehyung's arm, and the lady appeared from behind. "Ahh, this is my wife, Jennie,"

Wait...wasn't she at the club too? "Hello," He dipped his head slightly. Jennie's smile is as awkward as Lisa's when he first approached her earlier. Is she nervous that I might say something? Okay, how many men would I have to lie to around here to get on Lisa's good side?

"From New Zealand right? He told me about you," Jungkook tried to neutralise whatever feelings she has. After all, she is among Lisa's friends.

"Oh...how did you know each other?" 

"Ahh...Tae helps me with the imports of a few alcoholic brands...for my club,"

"Club?" Yeap, she's definitely nervous!

"Yeah, he owns the club that you went to. The shower? Didn't you two meet? I gave the number cus you said you wanted to set it up nicely," 

Oh okay, so I don't have to cover anything up - that's a relief! But wait, set what up? She only called me for the stripper - 

He watched as Jennie looked unsure with herself, fidgeting nervously before deciding to jump in.  "Ahh yes! The balloons and banner, right? Sorry again, I didn't get a chance to follow up that night and check if everything's okay. I hope everything was perfect though,"

"Ahh..." The relieved smile on Jennie made him feel good. "Yes, it was. Thank you so much!" He could tell that the appreciation wasn't directed to the 'balloons and banners'.

"I was going to visit, but work's been a little busy and I always ended up stuck late at the office. Chim's already bugging about it. I promise we'll go - all of us - when he's back from the honeymoon...right baby?" 

It's clear that Jennie's trying hard to keep it cool and collected - plastering a smile as she just went along with the conversation.

"Anyway, I was saying...how did you get to know Lisa?" The question caught both him and Jennie off-guard.

Hmm...tricky... A few seconds passed with Jennie's nervous stare. "I just met her here actually. We just got to talking -"

"Cool. Hey, did you ever find the girl you were looking for?"

Not. Now. Why is he this chatty all of a sudden? There's this knowing look too - what's that smirk about??

...

Jimin and Chaeyoung had already left the grounds with the fancy happily-ever-after mobile and one after another, the guests started leaving. Lisa and Jungkook continued to linger around each other's sides and by the time she saw Jisoo waving to her from a far, the sky's already turned violet. Lisa hadn't notice how fast 3 hours went and she can't help the sick, melancholic feeling of parting from her 'evening date'.

Jungkook came back to her with a serious frown after saying his goodbyes to the family. "So," He loosened his tie and undo the top two buttons of his shirt. The sight made her mouth dry. "Was I a good entertainer or did you still wish you were elsewhere?"

Lisa rolled her eyes but can't seem to stop from smiling. So good looking, it's almost illegal...damn charming, cleverly funny, and humbly smart - he really is the definition of every girl's ideal man! "The former...thank you,"

"Ahh that's so nice to hear! Otherwise I might resort to letting you strip me again,"

"Yahh!" Her voice came out louder than intended. "How many times - I told you I'm sorry! And you're not so innocent yourself - you could've said something before it happened!" She toned it down and pouts.

"Where's the fun in that?" She's still unsure whether she wants to kick his knee as hard as she can whenever he smirks like this...or kiss him just as hard - "And trust me, with the way you looked that night, I'm glad I didn't,"

What? What does he mean by that? Lisa cleared her throat for the umpteenth time, annoyed that her cheeks will go red again.

"So...are you gonna leave me with your glass shoe or are you still up for a walk in the park?" He ducks down a little to meet at her level.

"That feels like a trick question. If I say I'm leaving, I'll be admitting that you're Prince Charming - which I can honestly say you're not," White lies don't count! "There are no parks around here, Jungkook-ssi,"

"I'll have one for you,"

"What? Where?"

"Just trust me," Why does those 3 words from him sounded so beautiful?

...

"Really? This is a bit too cliché, don't you think?" Lisa braved her trembling heart, climbing the small steps to the porch of Jungkook's house.

"How so? You get brought back to a guy's house many times after a wedding before?"

"No!" Why does he have to be so bold at calling me out on things?? "I was just...it's in the movies..."

There's that charming grin again. He unlocks the door and opens it wide, gesturing for her to go in. Lisa swallowed hard, mustering her courage before letting her feet move. The lights are switched on and the first thing she noticed are the wooden staircase leading upstairs. There are 2 doors at each end, both are closed shut. Under the stairs are a short hallway. On her right opens a space that looks like a living room, only less cozy with just one sofa facing the high-tech-looking television set. On her left is an empty space, with boxes still wrapped laying on the floor.

"You live here alone?"

He nods, placing a few stuff from his pocket on a high table behind the door. "I just bought it...still renovating the place so this is a temporary setup,"

"Ahh I see...to be honest, it doesn't look anything like a park,"

"Where's the trust, Lisa-ssi?"

Cocky. I think I prefer the you in my mind...

"Sorry?"

Shit. Did I just said it out loud? "Nothing!"

He smiled with a frown and steps closer to her front. "You know...by the end of this night, I'll make sure I know what's playing in your mind," He leans down to her face and Lisa's heart began to speed. "Your eyes speaks a lot...but I can't understand a word of it. Do you realize that?"

"No..." Can her voice be any smaller?

"I'm waiting for it to translate to here," He lightly taps on her bottom lip with a finger and she hopes he didn't hear the slight gasp. "It's too pretty for you not to use it,"

Help...me...from jumping onto him right this second! Why the hell is it so hot in this place?? Lisa cleared her throat before stepping away, purposely heading towards the living room. "You should switch on the fan or something...at least offer me a drink,"

She heard the chuckle. "I thought you wanted to see the park?"

...

After grabbing 2 bottles of beer from the fridge, he led her through the hallway and opens a sliding door to the backyard. Lisa can't help but gasps at the beautiful open space - lighted with industrial fairy lights that hangs around the branches of trees. Surrounded by black, wooden gates, the grass holds a spectacular scene of a meandering path and meadow-like florals - white, yellow and blue, they stood and danced gracefully with the night's soft wind.

"You made this?"

"The trees and some plants were here when I bought it. They told me the house used to belong to an old ahjumma. The bank sold it cus she passed away. I figured she must've taken quite a good care of it before she passed, so I restored it. It wasn't much work...went to the store and asked for some wildflowers..."

Wildflowers...my favorites...

"It's really pretty," She breathed, still mesmerized by the enchanting display. She'd never seen such a beautiful, sculpted sight of a wild garden. It's like a postcard...but real.

There are a few seconds of silence before she heard Jungkook's low voice, "Really pretty." Lisa turns and found his eyes already on her. A light breeze teased the hair across her shoulders to her neck, and she shivered a little.

...

Such a contradiction. He could tell that she's attracted and intrigued by him, but she tries hard not to show it. A little shy, but she tries not to be either. Watching her put on a brave face and spend more time with him is hot and a damn blessing! It makes him want to do more, just to see how far she'll disappear with him. After all, that's what she seemed like wanting in all those times he'd seen her...to disappear.

As he walked back out with the thin blanket, Jungkook can't help but recognize his own positivity at the evening's outcome. He recalled the feelings he had with his previous relationships - from the first to Sana. Sure, it was filled with fluttering moments at the beginning. Perhaps this is the same...but it's different...how?

For one, there wasn't any certainty that he'll be able to keep seeing her. They've spent half a day together. They talked, joked, and laughed a lot. When he thought about the many spots they've walked and stopped this evening, one would think they're old friends who are really close with each other. Maybe a couple who are already so in love - mainly on his perspective! But in his eyes, she still seemed a little secluded...a little unsure. 

Her immediate realizations whenever he got too close keeps him bothered and on his toes, quite afraid that she might push him away at any point before he even had the chance to prove himself. It made him nervous as hell, but he tries hard to keep his cool. This girl is not easy to please...and definitely not easy to win over. Not that I expected any less...

"You said you knew Chaeyoung for only a year. How did you get to be her bridesmaid?" He asked casually, pretending to not know all these facts from Jimin. 

As she answered - oblivious to the fact that Jungkook is smiling and listening in only complete admiration - it dawned on him that he's now gotten through to the second phase. Personal space. And she didn't seem to mind it.

With each careful follow-up questions, he thought cautiously for the next. "You traveled almost four-thousand kilometers to do photography...that's brave,"

She laughed shyly. "Stupid, I know...I just needed to get away,"

"From who?"

Silence. But the smile is still there...let's see if I can try this - "You killed someone?" He leaned forward, resting both elbows on his knees while staring at her with a serious frown. For a second there, she laughed. "Or someone killed you?"

The curves on her lips are now gone, matching his demeanour. Her eyes reflects a glint of just-formed sadness, but he fixed his on them anyways - not wanting to let it go. 

"The latter," Her soft, barely-there sobs are not lost on him. "We were together for five years. I thought he was everything I could ever dreamed of...and he asked me to marry him. On our wedding day, while watching my little cousins running around with their flower baskets, he decided that he never loved me as much,"

Okay, who's this bitch I need to kill?

"He didn't even bother to show up and say it to my face. I had to find out from my mom. She began crying hysterically...come to think of it, everyone started acting crazy so I did what I had to do. I went in by myself...looked at everyone with a smile...and gave my thanks. I asked them to enjoy the food. I calmed my mom and aunts cus they're too embarrassed to show their faces."

Seriously, tell me who he is -

"It's kinda funny when I think about it...how you thought you had your life planned out and for the longest time, you believed that it's the right path for you. Just three seconds, I guess...that's all it took to change a lifetime. And three weeks. I couldn't stand the way everyone looked at me, as if I've been struck by an arrow and they're just gathering around...waiting for me to bleed out - crying while checking if I'm okay."

I need names. Who are these people?? How dare they -

"Asking me questions no one knew the answers to...pity looks and petty gifts - none of it made sense. You ever feel hopeless? Like in a way...that puts you out of touch from the world? I didn't know what to do in that world...where I stood, where to go. I didn't know how to make my parents feel better with me and the people around us...so I ran...in hopes that they'll see I'm fine. Maybe that way, I can see myself doing fine too. Most days I hardly think about it anymore but today...today I felt like running again," 

I see...now it made sense. Those empty looks she had at the ceremony...the seclusion she'd put herself in, being in that room by herself. He watched a tear fell, just as how he remembered in the many times he'd seen her. For some reason, it wasn't the same anymore. Because now, I'm here. 

With careful calculation, he placed his hand on hers - pulling it from wiping those precious tears away. I've seen you cry alone before...you can cry to me if you want. "But you didn't,"

"Thanks to you,"

He accepts the appreciation and lets her cry. He genuinely, whole-heartedly feel for her. It must've been hurting really bad, considering she ran as far as she could. Was that the reason she's been crying too? At the airport - that's when she left, wasn't it? At the convenient store where he saw her - was she crying about this too? But it's been a long time...is she still in love with the man who broke her? 

A minute or two later, she wipes her cheeks and looks up with a flustered smile. Jungkook wasn't sure why, but his heart felt like it's filled with something that's been missing. Even with tear-stained on her face, she looks beautiful...

Okay, no more crying over worthless piece of shit like that! Let's turn the table around so she won't feel so bad, shall we?

"My ex left me cus I worked too much and paid too little. I was gonna use the money I bought this house with to propose to her...I thought I'd get a nice apartment, big enough for the both of us. But she couldn't wait for it...and when she packed her stuff from my small studio, I couldn't find a reason why I should ask her to stay. So I bought this house instead, make it a home for myself. That's my way of running, I guess," He smiled, for some reason feeling proud of himself. "It's nothing compared to your story but let's agree that exes have always been jack-asses and we'd only be stupid if we fall for it twice, yeah?" 

She laughed and shook her head. That's a beautiful sight...she should laugh often! The thought made him all warm inside. When she's done, she looks up to him with those big, liquid eyes. Uncertainty speaks in its own, and Jungkook took it as a queue to remove them. 

...

She looks up and caught his twinkling eyes. His lips curved up in a small, meaningful smile. The longer she kept staring at him, the more intense the effect has on her. It's making her feel things - things she'd sworn off to never fall for. He looks like he's gonna break my heart. The potential is there...these are dangerous grounds...

The voices started disappearing as he leans closer. "The first time I saw you that night...I thought you had the most beautiful eyes I've ever seen...then you had to be brave too," She shuts her eyes when a palm reached her neck, caressing her skin softly. "A little shy...but mostly brave. And this..." He grazed a thumb on her lower lip and she gasped. "This smart mouth I can get addicted to,"

If she ever stood a chance of resisting him, it definitely evaporates the moment his lips touched hers. Time seems to be standing still and no other sounds could be heard aside from their own breathing. The first taste of his tongue brought her to a different world...claiming her wild and free. Feeling his slight groan made her feel capable, powerful even.

Why? Why do I want him so bad? These are dangerous grounds I'm stepping on... No other answers came into mind aside from he managed to bring me elsewhere. Please...let me not regret this tomorrow...

...