I sit down next to him, waiting for him to speak.

While looking right through me, he finally speaks. "What?" he slips his fingers through his hair and lays eyes on me. "You know what."

A smug smile spreads across his face. "I don't," he replies, his eyes never leaving mine.

A sigh of frustration escapes me, and I drop one hand to the other side of his hips. "Stop acting like that. Alright? What have I said wrong earlier? Hm?"

His stare hardens, and he finally breaks eye contact as he turns away, refusing to respond. "Nothing."

"Oh, nothing? Is that it?" I reach out to grab his phone and keep it behind me, but he lunges forward to grab it back as I hold it out of his reach, his face getting much closer to mine.

I hold my ground, not letting him take it from me. He finally gives up but stays suspiciously close. I can feel his breath on my face. "What's the problem? I'm acting as you want."

"What do you mean 'as I want'? I don't want you to act in any type of way," I do not back down. "You literally complained about the fact I'm looking at you too much, so I stopped 'cause I don't want you to feel uncomfy because of me."

"I never asked you to do that. What are you even talking about?" I frown at his nonsense, discerning how serious he is about this. "Are you seriously upset about that?"

His big eyes softening, he looks down at my lips, then back up at my eyes. "What if I say it did? Why does it even matter?"

Not knowing what to answer with, I do not break eye contact and muse over his words. "Why did it upset you?"

"Because," he says, and lurches forth to attempt to get his phone back, but I quickly move it out of his reach as I felt him wrap his warm hand around mine. "I swear, y/n," he bites his lips, keeping his arm around me and not letting go of what he wants to retrieve.

"Just talk to me," I plead, knowing that avoiding the conversation is only making things worse. "Tell me why it upset you."

"If you stay that close to my face, you're gonna get sick. So give me my phone," he tells me, making it clear that he has no intention of opening up about his feelings. "I spent the whole day near you, touching you, so it doesn't matter anymore. Do you even realize that you're literally upset just because you thought I told you I felt uncomfortable around you? I never even implied that. I feel good around you, and you know it. You're not Hugo."

His lips moving as I can tell he is nibbling on the inner part of them, he continues, "If you never implied that, then why did you tell me to stop doing it?"

"I never told you to stop looking at me, but to stop looking at me 'like that', with those puppy eyes, that little smile," I clear up the misunderstanding. "Fine, but why?" he slides his longer fingers under mine and tries to grab his phone, giving me that exact look I told him not to after lowering his voice. "Because it's distracting," I do not tell the whole truth, unable to do it.

He knows how powerful his eyes are, and he uses them to his advantage, then pretends to be unaware.

"Distracting?" he repeats in a playful tone, his eyes switching between mine and my lips nonstop. "I'm just a 'boy' as you say, so why is it so hard to resist that distraction?" he leans in closer, his breath warm on my face. "Hm?"

My body betrays me as I feel it react to his touch. I cannot help but feel drawn to him. This is going to be a problem.

"Is it that hard to resist a boy?" he tilts his head, deepening the intensity in his hypnotizing eyes as his voice left his lips in a soft and provocative tone. The tip of his fingers tracing circles over the palm of my hand, I smile nervously. "You're not just a boy. You'll be twenty in a few weeks. Unless you want me to treat you like one."

His lips curve into a smirk, and he leans in closer with them. His breathing tickles my ear as I do not move but feel my heart race. "I get what you meant now," he whispers and sends shivers down my spine, and as soon as I open my eyes and look at him, I understand why he said those words.

He is holding his phone right before my eyes, taunting me with a proud grin. "You love my voice and puppy eyes, but they make you weak, and that's the problem. That's what you meant," he teases and leans back.

There is no way he managed to get his way like that. I feel ridiculous.

"I hate you, brat," I cannot keep my frustration to myself. "Because you can't resist me?" he smiles mischievously. I roll my eyes, pretending to be annoyed. "I can resist you. Don't you start believing that."

"That's not what it looked like a second ago," he argues. "Stop being so cocky," I reply, trying to hide the fact that he is right. He always knows how to push my buttons.

"No," he plays and grabs my hand once I stand up. "Stay here."

"Minjun's alone since earlier," I remind him. "Just a little, he's probably too focused on his games to even realize," he does not act the same way towards his brother, making it sound like my attention is more important. "Why? I still want to spend time with him before your dad's home."

"Please, I'll be alone as soon as you leave too, you know," he guilt trips me, making me feel torn and unsure of what to do next. "You'll come tomorrow, right?" he pulls me in and sneaks his fingers between mine. "It's Saturday tomorrow; your dad will be here all day."

"And? He's not you. I need my special pill," he smiles, his eyes begging for compliance, looking so much more adorable from that angle. "I'm not your special pill. I'll come back on Monday, okay?"

He softens his expression and rests his head on the wall behind him. "Promise you won't go to that guy's house this weekend...Please."

I breathe out and take my hand away from his. "It's my job, Jungkook."

"I- No," he refuses to hear me. "Just...I can spend the weekend at your house. You take care of me instead, and like this, I stay away from my little brother and dad to not get them sick too. It's better, isn't it?" he tries to find every way possible to keep me away from Hugo. "My dad will pay you much more than this guy. Please. I won't annoy you. I'll be good, I promise."

"Good, you?" I raise my eyebrows, skeptical of this statement. "Hm," he nods and takes his legs out of the bed to position himself before me. "I'll make sure you won't regret it."

It does sound like a good idea. I would rather take care of him while he is sick than have to see Hugo, but this is lowkey weird to take him to my house. "Please, y/n," he raises his chin and begs me, his puppy eyes working on me again.

I sigh and look away. "I'll think about it tonight and let you know in the morning. Just ask your dad first."

I cannot believe I am even considering this. I do trust him, but I am still not sure this is a good idea, especially with all the things that happened today, and the evident way he feels towards me.

"I'll ask him as soon as he's home," he bites his lips, exuding excitement. I smile and nod. "I'm going downstairs now."

"I'm coming," he grabs his phone and stands up, suddenly showing joy. I chuckle but walk out with him.

•••

11:30 pm.

< hey are you sleeping? ]

[ I'm not, why? >

I stay focused on my phone after receiving an unexpected text from Jungkook.

< my dad told me he'll pay you to take care of me tomorrow ]

[ You sure? >

< yes so I come to your house tomorrow right?:D ]

[ What about your brother? He probably wants to spend time with you even if you're sick >

< ill just stay away for this weekend its okay. I don't want him to get sick ]

[ Give him a hug before going to sleep then bcs he thought you were annoyed at him earlier >

< what? Why? ]

[ Bcs of the way you acted, dummy >

< its your fault tho ]

[ No, it's not. What you mean? >

< stop it. You upset me that's why and you know it ]

[ Of course, I'm the one at fault bcs you misunderstood >

< yes:( ]

[ Anyway, you got what you wanted right after. Go to bed now, you need some sleep >

< fine ill go since you don't wanna talk ]

[ I didn't give you my number to chat with you. What would your dad think? >

< he wouldn't care. Its not like you're my teacher or something ]

[ Whatever, go to bed >

< alright then, mean woman. Goodnight and see you tomorrow:3 ]

[ Goodnight, see you tomorrow, little brat >

I drop my phone next to me and set my eyes back on the TV. I cannot believe I am actually going to take care of him here. I have never done this before.

– Next day –

Saturday, January 27th, 2024.

9:30 am.

The sound of someone knocking on my door drags me out of my daydream. I stand up from my sofa and head towards the door to open it.

"Hey," Jungkook smiles from ear to ear, holding a bag on one shoulder. "Hey," I step aside to let him in. "Did you have a hard time finding the right door?"

"No, but I like the hallways of this apartment. The decoration is pretty," he takes his shoes off and looks at me, seeming very happy. "Glad you think so," I reply with a smile as I close the door behind him, and Kohi approaches him. "Aw. That's the kitten," he drops his bag and squats down, his whole attention captivated by my adorable pet.

"Yes. You finally get to see him," I leave them both alone to go back to cooking breakfast. "Is Minjun doing good?" I ask him, worrying about his little brother. "Good. I'm the sick one though," he comes closer while petting Kohi. "You should worry about me instead," he stands right next to me.

I glance at him and smile. "Stop being like that."

"Like what?" he puts my kitten down as I pour some of the batter in the hot pan. "Like a baby boy."

He looks down at what I am doing while grinning. "I am a baby boy, though," he peeks up at me with his big eyes. "But you should blame it on my mother. She left before she even tried loving me," he says in a casual way, heading to my small dining table on my left. "Is that true?" I ask, feeling my heart breaking for him.

"Yeah," he says, sitting down on one of the two chairs and dropping his head on his hand. "She left my dad and me the day right after giving me birth. And Minjun's one didn't do much better. She cheated on dad a few months after Minjun was born with his best friend, and now she can't see Minjun because he hates her for hurting dad, and he never visits her."

"I'm so sorry. I didn't know all of this happened to you. I thought you both had the same mom," I regret causing this topic to be brought up. "No, I'm good. I don't care about either of them, so I'm fine."

"You kinda show the opposite sometimes, though," I lay a warm pancake on a dish. "When?" he smiles, knowing what I am about to expose. "Sometimes. I know you wouldn't crave or ask for physical affection the way you do if your mother had been there or if you had at least a mother figure."

For a moment, he remains quiet. Staring into space. "I guess," he finally responds, a hint of sadness in his voice, "Maybe I do care a little."

This is heartbreaking. Not having a mother to rely on can be incredibly difficult. Especially when you know she left you when you were still a baby.

"I'm here," I move up to him with two warm pancakes and place the dish down in front of him. "I'll try to give you what she didn't," I go back to my spot to grab some syrup he loves so much. "Try those pancakes," I put the syrup down and watch as he takes the first bite with a smile on his face. "You cooked this just for me?"

"Yes, I wanted you to have breakfast," I go back to the pan and flip the pancake. "That's really kind of you," he takes another bite. "I'll come here more often," he grins and gazes at me.

"Hey. You're here because you're sick. This won't happen again," I get the pancake out of the pan. "I'll get sick as often as I can then."

"No, you won't. Dummy," I refuse to let him say that, no matter how cute the meaning might be. "What? I just like being with you."

"Yes, but you don't have to be sick for that to happen," I serve him again as he has already emptied his dish. "Were you hungry?"

"Kinda, and it's really good," he eats the one I just gave him without waiting, and I chuckle. "I'm happy you enjoy it."

•••

11:30 am.

Jungkook playing on my PS5 while I text Hugo's father, who is not very happy about not having me at his house today. I breathe out heavily and put my phone down.

"Can I have a lollipop, please?" he drops the controller on his lap and stretches, tilting his body towards me and smiling. "Why do you suddenly want one?" I stand up and walk towards the kitchen, opening the cabinet to grab a lollipop for him. "I want something sweet."

I pick his favorite flavor and go back to him. "You do like sweets a lot," I open the lollipop for him and sit next to him. "Yeah," he fixes his bangs under his hood and leans towards me. "What flavor?"

"Strawberry milk," I say as I hand him the lollipop. He bends over and takes it in his mouth, believing I am feeding him. "Thank you," he pushes it against his inner cheek and stares into my eyes with his doe ones for no good reason. "What now?" I ask, pretending not to be affected.

"Nothing, you looked upset," he pulls the candy out of his mouth. "I thought you were focused on your game."

He shakes his head, and out of nervousness, I talk about something else. "You seemed to be doing much better than I thought. Hm? Are you really still sick?" I heave my hand up to his forehead, his pretty eyes never looking away from me. "Yes."

I check his temperature with the back of my hand, not feeling any abnormal heat. I move it down to one of his cheeks and feel nothing out of the ordinary. "Your temperature is fine, and you ate well," I touch his other cheek, his skin soft and smooth. He leans into my touch, a small smile forming on his lips. "My head's still hurting. And I'm a little cold. I feel better than yesterday, but not good enough."

"You have a headache, but you play games?" I give a gentle squeeze to his cheek and take my hand off of him. "Yes, I'd rather distract myself from the pain than deal with it and be bored," he sticks the lollipop back inside his mouth to lick it. "Oh, so that means you're bored with me?" I joke with him.

"Yes, 'cause you don't pay attention to me," he smirks and leans back, swirling his candy around in his mouth. "You're definitely doing better. I can tell from your behavior, you liar."

"I'm not lying! I'm still sick, look," he bends over and brings his face close to mine. "My eyes are kinda bloodshot."

I look deep into them but see no proof of his claim. "Your eyes are perfectly fine, boy. And bloodshot eyes are caused by too much playing or staring at your screen."

"I barely play or look at my screen, you're the one lying now," he retorts and moves away. "Sure. By the way, why did I see some clothes in your bag? What is that for?"

"What do you mean? I'm sleeping here, I need clothes," he says. "No, you're not sleeping here. When did I even say you would?" I straighten my back. "What?! You literally said I could stay here this weekend!"

"I thought you talked about today only!" I smile, defending what I understood last night. "So you're saying I'm gonna have to go back to my house tonight? What's the point of just staying a few hours here if I'm sick? I packed my stuff I was happy and all, and you chase a sick and hurt little boy out of here. You're so mean..."

"You're not a little boy anymore, stop trying to play with my emotions like that," I point my finger at him, a smile creeping onto his face. "So I can't stay here tonight?"

I sigh and glance away, needing a few seconds to think about this. "Please," he bends over to put his face closer to mine. "You can't do this to a poor little boy like me, right? Your favorite boy, hm?" he leans forth and drops his head on my lap. I grab the stick of his lollipop and give a pull. "Don't eat it in this position. It's dangerous."

He smirks and clenches his teeth on the stick. "I'll keep sucking until you tell me I can sleep here."

"Fine. You can sleep here, you baby!" I let him get what he wants, and he opens his mouth, allowing me to pull the candy out. "Now I'm happy."

"Of course, you are," I lower my eyes to his lips but notice some redness. "Did you pick your lips again?" I touch his bottom one with the lollipop, and he nods. "I did, and I know I'm bleeding a little," he licks them. "I'm going to tape them and make sure you can't do it anymore."

He scoffs and touches my hand to push the lollipop into his mouth. "Where did you put the lip balm?" I take my hand away. He shoves one of his in a pocket of his cargo pants and takes it out. "Here," he holds it up. I grab it and open it. "Get that lollipop out of your mouth."

He does as told and moves up, placing one hand next to my thigh to face me. I touch him under his chin and apply the lip balm over his lips. He stays still for only a few seconds, then puckers his lips. "Stop," I laugh and pause. "Part them a little bit, dummy."

"Why? Are you gonna kiss me?" he smirks, and I hit him playfully on the chest. He moans and pretends to be hurt. "You're such a mean woman."

"Quit talking," I cup his face with my hand and hurry to apply the lip balm, then let go. He smirks at me and puts the lollipop back in his mouth. He snatches the lip balm out of my hands and pushes it in his pocket. "You don't even say sorry."

"Sorry, baby boy," I hold his face with both hands and stroke his cheeks. "Are you doing better?"

"No, you need to say it again and give me a kiss," he demands, smiling and looking down at my lips. "I'm sorry, baby boy," I move forward and give him a soft kiss on the forehead. His smile brightens up his whole face. "Again, I'm still a bit hurt," his head leans into my touch as he takes his candy out. I take my right hand, against which he has not pushed his cheek, off his skin and caress his face with my thumb.

His cheekbones catching a red blush, I remember I should not go too far but reestablish some boundaries I struggle to respect. "You're too needy now," I rub him under his chin and drop my hand down, his expression softening and making him look even more vulnerable.

"Am I a kitten now?" he smiles. "A kitten?"

"Yeah, that thing you did under my chin. That's for cats," he tilts his head, putting the candy back in his mouth. "This?" I give him some chin scratches like I would do it to Kohi, and his smile widens. "Yeah."

"Is that what got you blushing like that?" I cannot help teasing him about it, and he instantly pushes my hand down. "I'm not blushing," he moves away, his cheeks turning an even darker shade of red as he tries to hide it. I annoy him a little more and get closer to keep rubbing him under his chin. He laughs and grabs my wrist to pull it down to his torso. "Stop. Pet your kitten instead."

I glance at the red tip of his ear and look back into his eyes. "Fine, I'll stop."

He lets go of me, and I leave him alone. As I walk away, I cannot help but smile at how cute he can be.

•••

8:10 pm.

The stream finally starting as the intro ended, I put my phone down to focus on it. However, a loud banging noise coming from the bathroom interrupts the peaceful moment. I turn around, knowing Jungkook is supposed to be taking a shower.

Some worry creeps into my mind, so I stand up and head to the door. "Jungkook?!" I knock on it. "Are you okay?"

"I...Yeah, kinda," he mumbles from the other side of the door, not helping me feel less anxious at all. "What do you mean 'kinda'? Did you fall?"