Chaeyoung PoV

I chuckle as Mr. Jeon talks about Jungkook's childhood. 

The way Jungkook cried in his first swimming lessons. Il-Do and Jungkook had private swimming lessons in the Jeon Mansion, when Jungkook first dipped his toe in the water, he cried. He only stepped in when Il-Do said he'd win a competition if Jungkook doesn't learn how to swim. 

His next funny experience as a child, was when the Jeons were in New York. The family was in Times Square, and there were a lot of people dressed up for entertainment. There was a man, playing a guitar, with only his underwear on and he was covered in body paint, Jungkook laughed at him, saying: "Naked! Naked!"

I learned that he was very an embarrass-free kid. 

The only problem Mr. Jeon had as his father, was how come Jungkook only remember the bad times. The days where Mr. Jeon just wanted Jungkook to read books for his betterment, and not those moments where Mr. Jeon would always be in his soccer competition. 

Mr. Jeon placed a chicken piece on my plate and smiled. 

"That's how to be a good parent," he said. "No matter how busy I was, I always went to Jungkook, Il-Do, Seunghan's school activities. Make friends with other parents on family days, take them to church, or go to the sports center and buy things for them."

I now realize why Mr. Jeon wanted to talk to me during lunch. 

Because no matter what his position is in the company, he still made time for his family. Unlike me, I'm not even close to the status of their family, yet I still don't make time for Jiyoon. 

"Don't get me wrong, young one," he assured me. "Being a surgeon? That job needs a lot of commitment. Emergencies will always take you away from your loved ones, and it's unavoidable."

"Even though, as a parent, I should've still made time for Jiyoon," I said. 

"But we cannot take back time, instead of sulking over the past, why not start anew? This time, you have someone to rely on, and he can rely on you at times. What's there to be scared of? Jiyoon's only 5 years old, there's a lot more in life she can learn."

"Hmm, it does sound nice."

Mr. Jeon took a sip of his water, "Do you love my son?"

"Yes, I do. I was about to tell him about Jiyoon, not on the same day of our fight, though. But our worlds just don't intersect. He's also a workaholic, like me. Both of us don't even know a lot of things about each other," and I struggled to say my next sentence. "And I don't know...if I should even tell him that even if his hyung doesn't want me to be with him, I will stick with him forever."

Mr. Jeon just looks at me as I said my last sentence. It took me a while to find the right words to say it. When I looked at Mr. Jeon, he seemed to be confused which made me panic. 

"I mean, I don't have any signs or clues that tell me that I should fight for me and him rather than him fighting for us," I elaborated. 

He nods and smiles, "Isn't Jiyoon the answer to that?"

"Huh?"

"She maybe..made out of love, premaritally and with the thought of 'one-night stands'. But accidents happen and sometimes for a good reason. Even if she was made with out love, she was raised with love. Jungkook loves her, you love her. It's just like mathematics, a=b, b=c therefore, a=c."

I nod, "If we're going on calculations and geometry, or philosophy, I'm understanding. I don't understand this connotation."

He chuckled, "Leave intelligence out of this conversation, dear. Let's say you are variable A, Jiyoon is variable B, and Jungkook is variable C. If A loves B, and B loves C, then we can conclude?"

"A loves C..." I murmured. 

"Bingo!" Mr. Jeon laughed. 

I just looked at him, he's also very intelligent. Now I understand how he managed his time when Jungkook was younger, through the basic principle of 'conclusions' and of course, 'time limits'. 

"Did I trigger your brain with the logical question?" he asked me. 

I just looked at him. 

"It took you long enough to be back, right, Ms. Park?" he nodded. "It's like identity crisis--"

"When an emotional activity happens, somehow you loose the intelligent side of you," I continued. 

He nodded, "And when the decisions come out rough--"

"It is more right to follow your mind instead of your heart."

"Was that the only solution to bring you back to your, as what Jennie described, "know-at-all" side?" He laughed and looked at the restaurant door. "Oh, Jungkook! Right here!"

I turned around, seeing Jungkook walking to our table. I'm still shocked with how Mr. Jeon knows this philosophy questions. How he understood that sometimes your emotional self can rule whoever you are and mold you to another person. 

My eyes followed Jungkook's movement. 

Why did I allow these things to happen?

I'm smarter than that. 

Jennie was right, why am I so stupid? So dumb? When clearly, the only person that existed in my world was Jiyoon and Jungkook and not Junhoe. The things that happened somehow feels like a mirage now. 

"Sorry I'm late, appa. There was traffic on the way here," he said and sat down next to his father. "Chaeyoung."

I smiled back at him. 

He grabbed his chopsticks and started to eat, "Why did you call me for lunch, appa?"

"Just wanted to celebrate the news I received," Mr. Jeon looked at me with a smile. 

"What news?"

Mr. Jeon and Jungkook shared an eye contact, "Nothing, son. I heard you bought plane tickets?"

Jungkook smiled and looked at me, "Christmas trip with Jiyoon and Chaeyoung."

"Really?" Mr. Jeon turned to me. "We've been talking non-stop here, and you didn't tell me you had a trip with Jungkook?"

"As far as I remembered, sir, I never even said I agreed to it. But because Jiyoon wants to go to Sapporo, I'll give way," I answered.

"Oh, Chaeyoung, dear, remember, the syllogism we talked about."

I smiled and placed my chopsticks, "It's almost 1, I have a surgery scheduled at 1:45. Excuse me."

"Let's have some lunch again, dear," Mr. Jeon said. 

I bowed and walked out but I heard Jungkook's chair moving out and him walking out of the restaurant door. 

I walked to the direction of street. Funny how Mr. Jeon didn't choose a really fancy restaurant, instead he chose a restaurant that is less known and only a few locals know about it. 

The restaurant was located inside a street, and taking the cab, I have to walk downhill to one of the main roads of Seoul.

"Chae! Chaeyoung!" I heard him calling me. 

But I was about to cry. Not because of him, because of what Mr. Jeon made me realize. The syllogism, I find it stupid and at the same time, real. 

If A=C, and let's say Junhoe is variable D, where the hell was he in that equation?! I mean, come on, Chaeyoung, how can you be that stupid! Why were you that stupid! 

Screw you, Chae, you're the world's dumbest person, ever! 

"Yah, Park Chaeyoung!" I stopped walking as soon as I felt his hand grabbing on my wrist. 

I turned around, with my eyes starting to get wet and my nose starting to get red. 

"Wha--? Are you crying?" he asked me and I shook my head, very fast. 

I then bowed my head down, so I can avoid contact with him. 

"If you aren't crying, then look at me?"

I looked at him. 

"You're crying, and don't say you aren't," he sighed. "What did appa tell you?"

I shook my head, "Nothing, he made me think hard questions."

He chuckled, "That's appa. Oh, uhm, I'm sorry about the plane tickets thing. There's a story there, actually. I only did the drafting of the ticket purchasing, and Jiyoon was on the bed then she bumped my hand and I clicked the 'buy' button."

We both laughed.

"I know, it's dumb and stupid," he brushed the back of his head. "And I'm doing fine after the accident, there wasn't a lot of pain in the leg like what you said when I got discharged."

"No, I lied there. I wanted to make you aware of yourself."

"Ah, was that it?" he smiled. "Anyways, the flight is on Sunday until the next Sunday. You want to come with me and Jiyoon buy her winter clothes? I don't want to go to the pink section in the mall so..."

I smiled, "Yeah, that sounds fun."

"I'll pick you up from the hospital tomorrow afternoon," he smiled and looked up in the sky then back at me. "Don't forget to wear warm clothes, the weather is starting to get colder."

After that he reached for something in his pocket and gave it to me. 

"It's an electric heater, I bought Jiyoon one since her outdoor music presentation is today. Just press that button until it goes red," he pointed at the button. 

I nodded, "Uhm, okay, I'll get going now, the surgery is less than an hour now."

"Right," he said. "I can't bring you there, appa and I have to go to Jimin-hyung's side of the company. Sorry about that."

"No, it's fine. You're not my driver," I said.

I was about to turn around to continue my walk towards the main street, for a taxi cab. Until his hand grabbed my wrist again and pulled me into a hug. 

Then he released me after 5 seconds, he gave me a warm smile and returned it with a confused look. 

"I miss you a lot, and I don't expect you to miss me too--"

"Bogoshipda, Jungkook," I cut him off. 

His smile turned into a shock look, "Oh, I thought I was the only one."

"I've changed after that fight."

"That quick?"

I shook my head.

"Change? Feelings? Or..?" he asked.

"I meant, I want to change the things now to something better."

He rubbed his thumb on my cheek, "We can do it. You and I."

"I have to go now, seriously. My patient will be kept waiting."

He pouted, "Like how you kept me waiting?"

I blushed and slapped his shoulder, "Jungkook!"

He laughed, "Alright, alright. Go now, before you even kill me."

"I'd love to but your: 'you kept me waiting' tells me you need a life."

"Very smart, Park."

I turned around and laughed, "I'll see you tomorrow, Jeon!"

When I reached the main street, I turned around and I didn't see him there. He needs to accompany his dad to lunch. Mr. Jeon would look awkward if he eats alone. 

I noticed that there was a taxi lane in the other end of the street, I grumbled and walked to the other end of the street. 

My head was in the air because of my excitement for the trip. Whatever his plans were in that trip, I'm sure it's specially made for Jiyoon.

As far as I remember, Jeon Foundations own a lot of apartment-styled hotels in Japan. I guess that's where we're staying. And Mr. Jeon told me Jungkook wanted to go there to see the business there. 

I bumped into someone, more like a brush on my shoulder and his arm. 

"Park Chaeyoung?" he called me.

I stopped walking and turned around. How did he know my name?

"Excuse me, do I know you?" I asked.

The man was carrying a cup of coffee and wearing a black suit with a blue tie. 

"I'm Jung Jaehyun, your Laboratory group mate in High school," he said. "I'm sure you don't remember, you're a famous doctor right now."

It took me time to realize who Jaehyun was. He was my idiot classmate who mixed the wrong chemicals and doesn't know how to balance chemical equations before. 

"Jaehyun? I remember you, I called you "brainless face", right?" I recalled. 

He chuckled, "Yeah, the meanest nickname you gave me."

"What do you do now? I never kept close contact with people after going back to Australia after that exchange student program."

"Oh, I'm an agent under the Jeon Family. I'm actually heading to the lunch place, wanna come with?"

"No, I'm friends with Jungkook and I came from the restaurant."

"Oh," he said. "I didn't know you were friends with my boss. That makes you my boss as well."

"You did fail your finals exam, even after the tutorials I've given you."

We both awkwardly laughed. 

"I'll go ahead first, it was nice seeing you," I said and bowed at Jaehyun. 

But still, that Japan trip. I'm so excited!

-----

no crying. 

i was lazy to finish the ending of the chapter. 

but here it is!

sorry for the delay.

iz out--------