"You both work here? Aren't you, like, too young to do that?" I asked, half-impressed, half-suspicious, and 100% nosy.

Namjoon just shrugged like it was the most boring thing in the world. "He owns this place."

"He owns this place, and we're eighteen, so nobody cares," he added with a chuckle, sipping casually like that was the most normal sentence to drop.

Right. Nobody cares. Because this town is basically the Pinterest board for small-town safety dreams — one mall, one theater, one bar, an arcade where the machines probably still eat your coins, and more gossip than Google.

"So I guess I'll be seeing you here every day?" he asked, subtly fishing for something.

I looked at Mona, who was now... oh God. Pole dancing.
Great. She was one leg twist away from inventing a whole new yoga pose called 'Drunken Goddess of Regret.'

"It's too noisy. I won't be back again," I confessed, probably making the world's ugliest cringe face. I swear the bass was rattling my organs.

Namjoon laughed. Not in a mocking way — it was soft, warm, like he was used to girls who didn't belong in the chaos.

"Come with me," he said suddenly, grabbing my wrist.

I blinked. Was this how people ended up in Netflix thrillers?
Still, I followed him — because apparently, my decision-making had packed up and left the moment I walked into this bar.

We weaved past the speakers trying to end my eardrums and landed at some fancy counter setup, where drinks were being mixed like science experiments. And of course — the Testosterone Avengers were already there.

"Oh, my goodness..." Elijah practically gawked, like I was some rare Pokémon.

"I didn't know geeks went to bars," Jungkook muttered, arms folded and ego bloated. Classic.

"You're right," I said, flashing a sugar-sweet smile laced in cyanide. "They should be somewhere better than this tragic little ego circus."

Boom. Right in the manhood.

"Then get the fuck out of here," he snapped, clearly not used to girls who bit back.

"Gladly. But I'm not leaving my friend alone in a room full of malfunctioning alpha males," I fired back, nodding at Mona, who was now passionately grinding on one guy while making out with another. Good for her. Therapy is gonna be fun.

Before Jungkook could come up with another caveman-level insult, Taehyung stepped in like a smooth breeze of mischief.

"Jungkook, why don't you get your new guest something to drink?" he teased, taking my hand as if we were in a period drama. Bold.

"No alcohol, please," I said firmly, like I hadn't just walked into the Holy Grail of poor decisions.

"Then lemonade it is..." Namjoon chimed in cheerfully.

"Oh, no-no-no. I'm allergic to lemon," I said, wrinkling my nose. "But I saw something called Peach Hell on the menu? That sounds like my vibe."

Namjoon burst out laughing. Like, full-body chuckle.

"I'll be right back with Peach Hell," he said, clearly entertained, and tugged Jungkook along with him before he could combust.

I flopped into the now-empty seat, exhaling.

"Are you new here?" Elijah asked, flashing me a grin like he already knew the answer. I nodded, trying not to look like I'd just been dropped into the middle of a jungle gym.

"Me too," he said with a smirk. Suddenly, Taehyung's voice cut through the music like a frat boy at a poetry slam. "Hey! I've got a cool idea..."

I braced myself.

"Why don't we all hang out together? You and Elijah can get to know this dump better, and I got tickets for the movies tomorrow," he added like it was the best pitch since sliced bread.

I opened my mouth, then closed it. My usual "hell no" was doing a weird dance with Mona's pole performance in my brain.

"Hey, that'd be great."

"I'm totally in."

"Wonderful then."

Oh hell, I have to say something, don't I? "Um... I'll think about it," I offered with a smile so awkward it could've caused a seismic event.

A collective "Aww..." came from the boys. Taehyung gestured toward Mona, who was currently crushing a whole bottle of wine like it was her job. "Bring your friends too — not Mona, of course. I don't think she'll survive."

After some relentless pleading, I caved.

Then, like a wizard appearing out of nowhere, Namjoon showed up with my Peach Hell. I flushed hard enough to cook dinner. Damn, he is charming, isn't he?

"Thank you."

"Thank me—I made it," Jungkook snapped, plopping down nearby with a snort. Yeah, whatever, Jungkook.

I took a sip. Heavenly. But... something was off. More fruity than dangerous, but definitely suspicious.

"This is good, but..." I murmured, savoring cautiously.

"Oh, thank you very much!" Jungkook bellowed, already acting like the mixologist was his protege.

We started explaining our plans for tomorrow when Jungkook suddenly announced he wasn't joining. "I got plans."

Cue stunned faces. "No work except this dump," he shrugged like it was a victory.

I wasn't mad. Less trouble, more fun for me.

They debated the mall itinerary: movies, lunch, arcade. Honestly, a few minutes ago I'd have sworn I'd rather nap than socialize, but this sounded... okay. Maybe even fun.

They kept yammering while I fought a desperate battle with my own lips. Why was my mouth doing the one thing guaranteed to make me look like a nervous chipmunk?

"Are you okay?" Namjoon's voice pulled me back. His hand touched mine, warm and steady.

I blinked up at him. "I... no, I don't know." Dizziness hit like a sucker punch. I was wheezing like a busted accordion but—of course—they just stared.

AUTHOR'S P.O.V

"What's wrong with her?" Elijah asked, panic creeping in.

"Ooh, maybe it's the lemon in the Peach Hell," Jungkook guessed, totally clueless about allergies but decided to treat Nina like a lab rat anyway.

"No... please, call an ambulance!" Nina gasped, struggling for air.

"Someone take her to the hospital, she's dying!" a voice shouted.

"Shit," Jungkook muttered, genuinely horrified for once.

"Stop it! You've got enough attention," Jungkook gripped her as Namjoon lifted her gently.

"For fuck's sake, Jungkook, shut up. I'll deal with you later," Namjoon hissed and stormed off.

"Nina? I'm taking you to the hospital. You'll be fine," Namjoon whispered, his worry cutting through the chaos.

Meanwhile, Taehyung dragged a protesting Jungkook outside.

"Hyung, I don't wanna go. She deserves this."

"Shut up and come. You could end up in jail if she dies," Taehyung snapped.

Outside, Namjoon waited with Elijah's car. A stranger rushed over, checking Nina's unconscious form.

"Are you her boyfriend?" he asked, alarmed.

"No," Taehyung quickly interrupted. "It was an accident—"

"She had lemon," Jungkook blurted out, honestly terrified of the fallout.

"No way," the guy said sharply, scooping Nina into his arms. "I'm taking her to the hospital. You find Mona and bring her, okay?"

He strode toward his car, urgency in every step.

At the Hospital

"She can go home now," the doctor said, scanning the relieved but tired faces. "But no more lemon cocktails," he warned, making Namjoon glare daggers at Jungkook.

The doctor left the room.

"Thanks for bringing Mona. I'm Owen, her brother," a large man said, nodding at Namjoon.

Mona was slumped on the couch, exhausted. Nina was lying on the bed, eyes fluttering open, still dizzy.

"It's nothing serious, right?" Nina asked, voice small.

Owen smiled kindly, brushing a strand of hair from her face. "You're completely alright, love."

She turned toward Jungkook with a smirk. "So, are you happy with what happened?"

"Except for you waking up—I wasn't expecting that," he muttered.

"Shut up," Taehyung growled.

"Wait... so you did this on purpose?" Owen's eyes narrowed. Taehyung kept calling it an accident, but now it looked more like sabotage.

"I'll kill you, asshole," Owen growled, stepping forward, towering over Jungkook.

"Please don't," Nina said, grabbing Owen's arm. "He's not worth it. Please, just take us home."

Owen scooped up Mona, took Nina's hand, and led them out.

Namjoon rounded on Jungkook. "What the hell is wrong with you? Your stupid pranks will get you in jail."

"God, Hyung, didn't you see? She's annoying," Jungkook shrugged, his frustration raw.

Being with his friends, seeing them smile—it drove him mad. And Nina? She kept poking the bear.

"I don't want to see you bother her again, Jungkook. This is making us all look bad," Taehyung warned, before walking away.

His friends were pissed at him because of her. All this chaos, this tension—it was all because of Nina.

He didn't care about her drama or pain. Not anymore. Not when he was this close to losing control. 

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And girl! You cannot miss the next chapter, is gonna be spectacular!!

The next chapter is when the game begins huneyy

......

Guys...my beautiful kitten (Pepper) passed away yesterday. She was the first pet I adopted on her 45th day, even though I had her for just 38 days I loved her so much, with all my heart. She was attacked by a big stray cat.

My pepper bled to death. Every time I blink all I can see is my beautiful cat dying in pain. Everything happened so fast I didn't know how to fucking react, as soon I saw my pepper everything around me stopped, wished it was all a stupid dream, just a stupid dream but no it wasn't. I accept that it was her time to go but she didn't have to die a horrible death.

My beautiful pepper, I love you so much, I wish I was there to save you from that monstrous animal. I hope you are not in pain, I hope you are in a safe place now. I cannot wait to meet you again. I love you. I love you so much!