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"will he be coming home late today as well?" i asked, breaking the silence inside the car.

i looked outside to see the view.

"i doubt it. he's running around like a mad man." jimin laughed.

i looked at him weirdly, "i'm sorry?"

"he's working like his pants are on fire, so he can get off work on time. the meeting he's currently in should end in about thirty minutes and then he'll be heading home. i'd think there was some kind of big magnet at home drawing him in with the way he's been working. right after lunch, it's like a flip switches and he suddenly desperate to get home." he said, looking at me through the rear-view mirror.

"r-really? it's probably because he's exhausted and just wants to come home and rest." i shyly said. jimin loves to tease people.

"hah! jeon jungkook? when the vice president was at his busiest, he'd work late into the night for a whole week straight without breaking a sweat."

"really?"

"anyway, because of you, we've been working less in the evenings and his temper has softened. our staff has a lot to be happy about lately and it's all thanks to you."

"n-no! it couldn't be because of me...he works once he gets home, too. i'm sure it's because he just wants to work comfortably from home." i gently scratched my neck as i said that.

"you think so?"

"yes, i do."

i still clearly remember what happened a few days ago when he was working at home. both of us were doing our own stuff at the living room.

"why do you keep staring at me?" i asked.

"i can't concentrate because of you." he casually said, turning off his tablet.

"you're the one who told me not to go when i said i'd leave you to concentrate." i said.

"because that would be even worse."

"what?"

he suddenly stood up from his seat and walked towards me, pulling me closer to him.

"wh-what are you doing...?"

and both of us ended making a short make-up session on the couch and he couldn't finish his work just because i was distracting him. i was just sitting there, reading my book for god's sake!

well, he does do work at home...

"you thought about him just now, didn't you?" my reverie stopped after jimin asked me that oblivious question.

is it too obvious?

"n-no, i didn't!" i denied, of course.

"that expression i just saw...it's one i usually see on his face..." he teased again.

"i was thinking about my students. thank you very much." i lied.

"oh, is that so? well, my apologies then. how sad for the vice president. he's been thrown over for a bunch of students. he'll need to work harder to win your affection!"

park jimin sure likes to tease.

-

i carefully looked around the apartment's lobby.

i hope tzuyu isn't around today. i hate that i'm concerned about her.

i miss jungkook.

i-i mean, i hope he comes home soon. so i can ask him a bunch of stuff.

as i entered our home, i smelled something.

that smells good.

i walked towards the kitchen. did jungkook get home early so that he could surprise me with a special dishes today? that's why jimin was the one who fetch me?

"jungkook! when did you come home? i thought you'd get back later than me...what are you mak-"

mm, it smells good.

"welcome home, unnie! oppa hasn't come back yet. do you like pasta? doesn't it smell divine? it's my speciality."

i stopped on my track after saw tzuyu inside the kitchen.

my smile instantly dropped.

she was preparing pasta in here. in our damn kitchen?

"this won't take long. i'm almost done. when oppa gets home, we can all eat together!" she enthusiastically said.

"how did you get in...?" i carefully asked.

she harshly put the knife she was holding on the table, making me a bit startled.

"what? what did you say?" she asked me innocently.

"ah...uh..." i swear i'm so scared.

i looked at the carbonara soup filled with a lot of seafood. it used to be my comfort food, but now, i think i changed my mind.

i covered my nose and mouth with my hand.

gah, the smell! the smell wasn't like this before.

"unnie, what's wrong? are you feeling okay?" tzuyu asked.

i rushed to the toilet and vomited everything out.

i panted heavily.

what is this?

"oppa, you're home!"

i froze. jungkook is home?

"how did you get in?" i heard jungkook asked her.

"you still like pasta, right? i pulled out all the stops today. you should hurry and wash up for dinner." she said.

"i'm asking you how you got in."

"aw, come on. that's not important...i just did, okay? unnie gave me the address and passcode yesterday. i didn't realise the passcode would be your birthday though. i'm right, aren't i? how cute..." she laughed.

instead of me, tzuyu is greeting him as he comes home from work.

"oppa...why are you looking at me like that? i wanted to do something nice and surprise you because i wasn't able to get you a wedding gift..."

listening to their talk, you'd think that those two were the newlyweds.

was the door passcode jungkook's birthday?

i didn't even know he liked pasta.

i don't know anything about him.

a conversation i can't participate in, a voice i don't want to hear, and that nauseating pasta smell...

maybe the one who shouldn't be here...isn't tzuyu, but me?

i just had one thought. i needed to get out of this nauseating space.

"this is breaking and entering, a crime..." i heard jungkook sighed.

"oppa, you're so mean..."

"i want you to get o-" jungkook stopped when we suddenly made an eye contact as soon as i got out from the toilet.

i walked straight to the main door and went out.

"chaeyoung? wai-!" he called out.

"oppa, where are you going?" tzuyu will definitely prevent jungkook from leaving, showing her infamous puppy face.