xix.

"can i borrow your phone for a moment?" jungkook requested, eyeing the piece of technology trapped in a box. minjee nodded and allowed him to take it, the camera was on the rear option so he quickly double-tapped the screen so it was facing him.

he positioned her phone on the table, making it lean against her small bag that was plopped on the table so the camera could capture both him and her on-screen.

the funny thing was... they caught sight of pikachu and charmander in between their faces from the background and this made minjee giggle a bit, covering her mouth with her hand as she looked away.

jungkook watched her through the screen. cute.

without her mask, minjee looked too good to be true. she was gorgeous and perfect in his eyes. some people may find her average-looking as there weren't many differences compared to other girls but jungkook thought otherwise.

'ya'll look at the way jungkook stares at her'

'i'll be mad if my bf looks at other girls but EVEN MORE MAD IF MINJEE CHOSE JUNGKOOK INSTEAD OF ME! how could you T—T'

'is it only me but i could smell love in the air from a thousand miles away?'

'didn't they just met—'

regardless of the comments, both gamers didn't pay much attention to them. only taking a glimpse once in a while if the air got too reserved.

"are you not going to order something?" she asked, chewing on her vegan cookie. the crunchy texture and delicious taste filling her taste buds. minjee wasn't a vegan but she didn't mind consuming vegan snacks as they tasted delicious either way.

she was hungry.

jungkook hummed, looking up at the ceiling like he was thinking. "i was about to order an americano but i bumped into you so," he shrugged, brushing his nose with his index finger. from the corner of his eye, he saw jimin and taehyung standing up.

"you want an americano? you can take mine," minjee offered, sliding her beverage across the table, it stopping in front of him.

upon hearing this, jungkook looked at her with wide eyes and parted lips. it wasn't because she had offered her americano but it was the way she pronounced the word americano. ameri-cane-o.

"what about you? what are you going to drink?" he asked. the girl sighed much to her dismay. she shifted her gaze towards her phone, silently telling her viewers to type in the comments to answer his question for her. she instructed him to look at her phone.

'she wanted hot chocolate but got americano instead lmao'

without saying a word, the male stood up from his seat, leaving a puzzled minjee behind silently eating her cookie. not long after, he came back holding a steaming hot beverage carefully with both hands before placing it on the table.

that was the moment minjee realized he had bought one hot chocolate for her. "it's still hot so be careful," he informed, smiling a little at the awestruck girl across him.

"t —thank you," she nodded her head.

-

jungkook and minjee decided to go for a short walk to get to know each other more; not like they haven't since they knew a good number of likes and dislikes by texting every day.

she found it quite adorable and amusing that the annoying and curious jeon jungkook from the internet turned into this shy and quiet boy. she hoped he would feel comfortable around her soon, enough for her to meet the brave and bold side of him.

minjee ended her instagram live not too long ago to spend her remaining afternoon with him — he insisted to hang out for a bit which resulted in them getting a few comments regarding their bond.

the soles of their shoes made in contact with the leaves crumpling under their feet at every step they took. there were still a lot of people in the park as it was only two pm and both gamers have yet to find those who recognize them. hopefully, it stays that way.

"follow me," jungkook looked around to see if anyone was watching before jogging towards the corner, leaving the puzzled girl behind. she eventually followed him who had already gone inside the bushes, his figure no longer visible from the other side.

when she finally got through the messy shaped leaves with tiny branches stuck to her hair, her gaze moved forward and her eyes immediately shot open at the fascinating view.

not a soul was present here except the two of them. all the different colored flowers scattered the grass in random spots of the small area, a small pond located at the corner, and a single mother tree right next to it. the area was covered with bushes so people couldn't see from outside. it was a spectacular sight indeed.

"this was a secret place i found when i was still at school," jungkook spoke, striding towards the pond and under the tree before sitting down on the soft grass. minjee followed behind him. "it isn't so secret anymore though since you know now."

he chuckled, staring up at her who was observing the place in astonishment.

she finally settled down beside him, keeping a safe distance between them. not too far and not too close. jungkook pushed himself backward and leaned against the tree trunk, eyes shifting to the pond.

it was a refreshing afternoon just admiring the place. when breathing in, he got this smell of purity, he felt free and alive. it was also a plus point since he was able to hang out with minjee. not from the internet, but in real life. she was right there beside him, softly smiling.

a/n; a filler chapter and my longest one yet. happy twenty chapters to me!