Bias
Idol!Jeon Jungkook x Black!Reader
Summary: In which Jeongguk falls in love at first sight at a convivence store at 11pm after being stalked by a saesang.
7k+ words.
Fluff and light smut.
Chapter 1
February 3rd 2026-Seoul, South Korea
Clouds gathered across the night sky, shrouding the stars and darkening the city below. People walked mindlessly, some with purpose, going from point A to point B without a care as they were too engrossed in their phones. The outside world was a blur of lights and thunder for everyone at 11pm, but not for her. Masked jaw clenching as her eyes widely followed the black clothed figure make it to his destination. He didn't have a clue.
He hummed aimlessly under his breath as he opened the door to the convenience store. Mask pulled over his face, covering everything but his doe eyes, and the black hat pulled over his brow adding to his mystique. Jeongguk nodded at the clerk, the man of 64 had been accustomed to the star for years now and was a protector of sorts when the idol wanted to live normally, even if it was just for 5 minutes. The old man grunted in acknowledgement as Jeongguk went to the cooler on the other side of the store. He scanned his options and finally settled upon the peach aloe drink and a bottle of plain soju. As he closed the fridge door, the bell at the entrance jingled again, alerting that someone had entered.
Absent-mindedly, Jeongguk stiffened, fearing he would be recognized now that another patron had entered. He calmed his mind and headed to the counter. Just as he had passed, the smell of vanilla and coconut assaulted his senses, causing him to glance at the figure that had passed him. His eyes widened a fraction at the sight.
The girl was beautiful. Brown skin on the edge of being light and dark all at once and a full head of tight, thick curls barely contained by the black and white bandana tied at the front of her head. Her face was round but her cheekbones were slightly defined despite the slight plumpness of her them. She had a small mouth with full lips, her nose had a septum piercing and it was slightly wide but still small enough to compliment her almond shaped eyes. Those eyes, covered with her prescription glasses, paid no attention to the man momentarily stunned by her beauty as she passed him without a thought. She went to the same fridge he had just come from, breaking his staring. He felt heat rise in his face as he rushed to the register, unaware of the other patron that had entered after the pretty girl.
“No cigarettes tonight?” The old man asked him. Jeongguk smiled at the cheeky remark from the man and replied.
“I quit, remember?” The man scoffed. The sound laced with affection and scolding all at once.
Jeongguk tapped his card after he scanned his items and his senses were assaulted once more. His ears perked up at the sound of a camera clicking and his nose twitched at the pleasant scent of vanilla and coconut again. His mind was momentarily confused and soon turned to annoyance as he glanced behind him discreetly and saw two figures in a line. The first was his pretty girl, her eyes too busy looking in her phone and the other was an Asian girl covered in black clothing, face masked and trying (failing) to look unawares. He recognized her. She was a well known saesang that had harassed him and two of his idol friends for 3 years. Sneaking photos and selling them online. He closed his eyes and breathed through his nose to contain his anger. He looked at the clerk who sensed his uneasiness. The old man looked in the direction Jeongguk had gestured to and clenched his jaw.
“Excuse me.” Jeongguk stilled at the voice behind him. The Korean was laced with an accent, sounding almost similar to his Busan dialect. He turned then and looked to the owner of the sound. He was met with the pretty girl looking at him, smiling softly, her hand holding a basket that contained a case of a drink he had never tried before and a few instant ramen packets.
“Can I pay please?” Jeongguk choked. Amusement and embarrassment melding together, muddying his brain again.
“Sorry.” He replied with a slight bow. He glanced at the saesang and watched as she squirmed, trying and failing to conceal her identity. He hadn’t left yet. He couldn’t. It was best to stay in public and not walk home for her to find his new address.
“How much?” He looked at his pretty girl again. She spoke in English this time. The accent was unfamiliar and he was surprised at the old man’s affectionate smile towards her. Like a father greeting his daughter.
“Nothin’ make sure to cook somethin’ nice on Sunday fa me.” Jeongguk could only make out a few words before being stunned at the bright laughter that tumbled from the girl’s mouth.
“Whateva ya say Mr. Lee.” She replied. He watched as Mr. Lee packed her items without charging.
“Ya wan’ me wait fa you?” Mr. Lee replied.
“Youse the one dat wan’ ride but askin’ me?” Jeongguk could not clearly discern what she was saying but the tone of her voice combined with her sweet accent set him in a trance. Mr. Lee sucked his teeth in response and Jeongguk watched as the pretty girl casually walked behind the register and into the room marked for employees.
Jeongguk was taken out of his musings by the saesang as she approached the counter with a bottle of water. His body tensed as she watched her. She moved mechanically, feeling him glare at her, however, she took it as interest and felt her mind churn with fantasies. Mr. Lee was no longer jovial and soft as he served her with neutrality. She left the store and Jeongguk watched as she pretended to not linger outside.
“Shibal.” He cursed under his breath as Mr. Lee passed to close the door. Jeongguk took off his mask and turned to the old man.
“Is she still there?” He asked. The man sighed and nodded in reply to Jeongguk before speaking.
“She’s crazy.” The old man shook his head as he spoke. “No worries, we’ll leave through the back.”
Jeongguk watched as Mr. Lee did his rounds. He turned the lights off and took the register in the back, the younger man following him and they were met with the sound of computer keys being hit in quick succession. Jeongguk had momentarily forgotten that she was still here and panicked as he realised he was now showing his face. She was sitting at the table in the corner working on her laptop, forgetting her surroundings entirely. That was until Jeongguk made a sound upon realizing that he was exposed and the girl looked up from her laptop. He watched as a variety of emotions flashed across her face. She was stunned for a moment, shock clouding her senses and was soon replaced with slight admiration before she swiveled her head to Mr. Lee who had worked at putting up his cash float without a care in the world.
“Mr. Lee.” She called the man. He hummed in response before turning towards them. Jeongguk was frozen in the doorway and the pretty girl looked from left to right at both of them in confusion.
“Ahhh! Where my manners.” Mr. Lee talked in English again and that was when Jeongguk realized that he and the girl had a similar accent. “Jeongguk, this is Y/N. Y/N, this is Jeongguk. He need a ride home too. Crazy gyal out front don’ wan’ leave him alone.” The girl scoffed at his cavalierness as he spoke, but stilled at the mention of the saesang.
She turned to him and her expression no longer held shock but pity. “Saesang?” She asked. He felt his breath hitch. She had asked him so softly and with such care that he was left without words. He nodded his head and felt his heart pound at the understanding smile she gave in return before sucking her teeth. The sound was laced with annoyance, and he felt something tender bloom in the depths of his chest at it.
“They give us ARMYs a bad name.” She said while shaking her head in disappointment. Simultaneously, she started to pack her things, preparing to leave. At her words, he felt a deep sense of pride. He had met fans in public before and had no qualms with interacting with them if appropriate, but with her it felt different. A validation and stroke to his ego unlike anything else before.
“Ya ready ta go?’ Mr. Lee asked in English. Y/N nodded her head yes and grabbed her things. Mr. Lee motioned to the door for Jeongguk to head out first. He obeyed and as he was exiting vanilla and coconut assaulted his senses once more as she followed behind him. They left through the back entrance, a tedious journey to get to Y/N’s car, but it was safer than Jeongguk being followed by a crazed woman.
“My jeep is up there.” She said as she led them. His mask was pulled up covering his face at this point, but he knew his cheeks were red from the light rain that poured mixed with the cold air and the fact that he couldn't help but assess her figure as she walked in front of him. She was half a foot shorter than he was with a solid frame. Curves in the right places that weren't common amongst the average woman of his home. She was covered in layers for the weather but it didn't conceal how perfect she was. His thoughts made him feel conflicted as they finally arrived at her silver jeep. He had never felt so strongly about any girl he had just met before but at the same time it felt right. As if their meeting was fate. Some divinely ordained thing to brighten his life amidst the pressure he was under. That maybe, just maybe, he could have a chance at being himself. Not the idol. Just Jeongguk.
He sighed deeply as he opened the back door of her jeep and was met with her scent. His eyes became lidded as he sat and closed the door, with her and Mr.Lee taking the front seats of course. It was as if he was intoxicated or under a spell, unable to break free—even though he didn't want to.
He broke free from his trance as the car started moving.
“You wan’ me drop you firs’?” She asked Mr. Lee.
“Of course. You have ta pass me ta geh home and tek him.” Jeongguk was fascinated by the way they spoke. His English was abysmal despite ARMYs praising the improvements he had made over the years, and now with the thick unfamiliar accent it made it near impossible for him to understand. However, it had a familiar lull that reminded him of his own dialect, drawn out and something so comforting sitting at the base of your throat as each syllable passed your lips.
“You ok with that?” She asked him this time. Her Korean made her voice a touch softer, wrapping its way around his heart that pounded at the attention she had given.
“Yeah.” He replied. His voice came out slightly timid despite the sudden octave change that he hadn’t realized had occurred until it came out.
She didn’t reply to him and they all fell into a comfortable silence with the radio playing lightly in the background and the rain coming down a touch harder. At this Jeongguk closed his eyes and tilted his head and fell asleep with the scent of vanilla around him while envisioning her pretty eyes.
[...]
Y/N hummed the song on the radio under her breath as she drove. Mr. Lee was busy texting his wife, announcing his arrival as his apartment building came into view. She had met him during her first year in Korea as she had lived in the same building temporarily. They hit it off instantly once he saw her Bahamian flag tied to her suitcase. The man had lived in the Bahamas for 30 years before he and his wife had moved back to Korea after retiring. His children still lived in Nassau, but they would visit during holidays so that their parents could see their grandkids. It was nice having something familiar so far from home, even though she only stayed in the apartment next to his for her first month in her new home. Now she lived in a nicer neighbourhood in Seoul in a cushy condo that was covered by her stipend. The benefits of being an exceptional Master’s student and expat.
Her thoughts trailed off as she made it into the lot of his building. The rain was starting to come down a little harder so she parked as close as she could. Mr. Lee sighed tiredly when they arrived due to the rain before saying his goodbyes to her.
“Tex’ when ya reach and don’ forget my plate on Sunday.” She laughed softly, aware of the man asleep behind her (even though it still felt like a dream).
“I gotchu Mr. Lee.” She said as he exited. She watched as he rushed towards the building and waited for him to enter before reversing out. As she looked in her rearview, she glanced at the man in her back seat and her breath hitched when she was met with his sleeping face. He wore a mask still but it was unmistakably Jeongguk. THEE Jeon Jeongguk. She couldn’t believe that she was in such close proximity to him, her bias of all people, and yet she felt oddly at home in his presence. The moment she became aware of why she was even taking him home made her angry and slightly protective of the older man. She never understood the concept of stalking a celebrity and was no stranger to saesang culture after being an ARMY for 8 years. Still, she couldn’t help but pity him despite his superstar status.
After reversing out, she made a steady drive on the main road, hesitating before waking him up for directions. She turned the radio off and drove a touch slower than usual before calling out to him.
“Jeongguk.” She called out to him twice before he started to stir. She could see him as he woke from his slumber but she could hear him sigh as he refamiliarized himself with his surroundings.
Jeongguk made a sound of confusion before realizing where he was. The rain pelting the jeep he was in started to come down harder altering his memory of the night that had transpired. He looked forward and realized that Mr. Lee was no longer with them and oddly felt fine with being in a car alone with a fan.
“Hey. I kinda need directions.” Her voice was something he couldn't get used to. The sound was like a soft caress to his ears, taunting him like a siren to do her bidding. He liked it. Far more than he should have, he realized and he took his mask off before replying to her.
“Thanks for this, I forgot to tell you. I’m not that far from here actually.” It was true. The convenience store was at best a 30 minute walk away from his house and about 10 minutes away by driving. He gave her accurate directions and watched as she listened to him attentively, however, the rain was coming down a lot harder than they had anticipated. It was going smoothly at first but then thunder and lightning struck, startling her. She let out a slight squeal, nearly swerving them off the road. He should have been angry, instead he felt a flash of fear as his hand bolted forward and gripped her shoulder to keep her in place. She gasped at his touch.
“I’m so sorry.” She sounded a little scared, almost as if she wanted to cry and he desperately wanted to comfort her.
“It’s ok. We’re not too far from my place.” he replied. His hand stroked her shoulder while he spoke, calming her more than it should have. She let out a shaky sigh at the motion, her heart slowing down from the previous fright.
“Right up here.” He motioned towards a large house at the end of the corner she had turned through. The street was barely lit, making it hard for her to see where she was going with the violent rain that ensued, but he kept her steady with his thumb stroking back and forth across her right shoulder. She followed his direction and pulled into his driveway. The house was huge, as expected for one of the biggest pop stars in the world. She put her jeep in park but kept it running as she now had to tread through the rain to get home. The thought made her nervous, causing her to stiffen slightly under his hand.
Jeongguk felt her nerves and the way her body stiffened under his palm and made his decision without a second thought.
“Stay here for the night.” She whipped her head around to face him and he was stunned at how beautiful she was up close. His eyes widened slightly as her breath fanned his face and watched as she mirrored his expression. Her mouth was shaped in an o from her shock at his words. He cyaan be serious?!? She thought as she looked at and realized that this man meant the words he had uttered.
“I-”
“It’s not safe for you to be driving this late in this weather. Stay tonight. Please.” Her hesitance left her body at his words. Jeongguk had tried hard to conceal his pleading and felt a slight touch of victory as her body softened. She bit her lip as if she was contemplating before nodding her head yes. He smiled in return, not knowing then that this would be one of the best decisions he had ever made in his life.
[...]
“Aishhhh.” Jeongguk cursed as he fumbled with his keys. The rain was ridiculous at this point. It was as if it had waited until they exited her jeep to come down even harder, which they didn't think to be possible. They were terribly wrong as they now were completely drenched. He had given her his leather jacket, placing it over her head while he ran behind her, covering her partially. It was no use as they were soaked to the point that you could hear their shoes squeaking loudly after he finally got the door open and they walked inside.
He took his jacket and hers, hanging it on the rack by the door for now and took off his boots, letting out curses and to his right he could hear his new companion letting out similar retorts as she struggled with the laces of her shoes. His brain was turning to mush at this poin as he felt nothing but endearment and without a second thought he bent down and helped her.
“Let me.” he said while kneeling and grabbing her ankle softly. She gasped at the touch but it did not deter him as he undid her laces and took off the soiled shoe and did the same to the other. He rolled her socks off after and placed each foot in the slippers he kept at the entrance of his house. When he stood he was met with her facing him while she hugged her body and shivered. Her glasses were covered in raindrops and he was certain she couldn't see a thing. He couldn’t stop the little giggle from leaving his mouth. Cute. He thought.
“What are you laughing at?” Her question made him laugh harder.
“You’re like a kitten. So cute.” She scoffed at his words, causing him to laugh even harder than before. Influenced by his glee, she couldn't help but laugh with him, until she sneezed. The laughter stopped and Jeongguk got into action.
“Aish! I’m so stupid.” He said more to himself. He didn't hesitate in grabbing her wrist and pulling her along with him. She let out a sound of surprise when she felt his skin on hers.
“What are you doing?” She couldn’t see through her glasses as they were wet and it was no use taking them off due to her eyesight being so poor.
“You need to get out of these wet clothes or you’ll get sick.” She could feel her body heating up at his words. He didn’t mean it like that. She knew he didn’t but she was a young woman after all. She didn’t question him further and just allowed him to pull her through his house.
Finally they arrived at his bathroom and she winced when the light turned on, contrasting with the darkness they had to go through to get here.
“You can take a shower. Towels are in the cabinet over there and I’ll leave you some clothes outside of the door.” She took off her glasses when he started speaking, resting them on the counter and inhaled sharply at how close he was to her. She could see various emotions swirl in his doe eyes, one matching the tenderness of his voice as he catered to her. She nodded her head in response and smiled softly at her and squeezed her wrist before giving her privacy. She let out a deep breath she had been holding in as the door closed behind him.
[...]
Jeongguk’s entire body was a light as he listened to the shower turn on. He closed his eyes and let out a slow breath, trying and failing at calming his pounding heart as he dragged his feet to his room. He was so fucked.
It had been ages since he had a girl over to his place, nearly 3 years. He had been celibate for 8 months before enlisting and hadn’t had the nerve or the time to break his dry spell. Now, having her here, in his space, set every nerve in his body on fire as dug through his drawer for something for her to wear. He grabbed a T-Shirt and some basketball shorts, hoping they would fit well enough. He folded them and grabbed a pair of socks as well before heading to the downstairs bathroom again. When he got there the shower was still running and he tried to calm his mind as he envisioned what she looked like under the steam and spray of the shower head. “Fuck.” he whispered softly and quickly placed the clothes right by the door before rushing to his bedroom bathroom.
He stripped his clothes and was unsurprised at finding that he was half hard. He felt disgusted at his own thoughts. She had helped him out of kindness and he couldn’t control his own impure thoughts. He got in the shower and gritted his teeth as the water made contact with his skin. It was warm, he couldn’t risk getting sick so he had no other choice but to commit this filthy act.
He closed his eyes and sighed as he envisioned her eyes while taking his hand stroking his dick lazily. He kept his voice down as much as he could as his movements started to quicken. He saw her in his mind. Her manicured fingers wrapped around his dick while sucking the tip, peering at him with her pretty brown eyes.
“F-fuck.” he whined helplessly. The sound was drowned out by the water falling on him. His hand stroked faster, in tandem with the movements of the version of her in his mind. He placed his hand on the wall and gritted his teeth, groaning under his breath as he started to cum. It was a lot. Way more than it had been in a while. His voice soon settled into light gasps as he calmed his body from his orgasm. He placed his forehead on the wall in front of him and closed his eyes as he tried to understand what was it about her that got him like this so quickly.
[...]
Y/N had turned the shower off and despaired at her hair being ruined. She was in need of a wash day but was hoping to push it for another week until she got soaked in the rain. She would have washed it here but Jeongguk’s bathroom did not possess the correct tools for her to complete such a task. Stepping out of the shower, Y/N grabbed the fluffy white towel and dried her body. She turned over tonight’s events in her mind. Jeongguk’s eyes looked at her with such tender affection while he took her shoes off, as if he had known her his entire life. Like she was a precious thing he had to protect, cherish and love lest she fall apart—thats what the irrational part of her brain said. The rational part, the part that was usually right, said he did it out of kindness, simply returning a kind gesture to make up for her helping him out. At best, at least as much as she could hope for, perhaps he would want to be friends. She doubted that he would want anything more, if he had wanted anything at all even. She was a fan, a foreign one at that, too many variables stacking up to create a PR disaster for his career. Still, she hoped, against her better judgement, that the irrational part of her brain was right this time.
She let out a deep sigh as she wrapped the towel around her body, clutching it tightly to avoid any mishaps, before heading to the door. Her glasses were on the sink, she wanted to put clothes on before allowing herself to see. She opened the door and looked down and saw clothes folded, just like Jeongguk had said. She bent down and grabbed them quickly and retreated into the bathroom, unaware that Jeongguk had just come down the stairs and saw her in nothing but a towel.
She unfolded the garments and couldn’t help but blush as she realized that they were his. OMG! She felt like a school girl having a crush on a teacher. Something so forbidden and dangerous crawling its way inside of your chest, igniting your body with unbridled desire for the one thing you couldn’t have. She sighed softly as she put the shirt on first, the smell of his laundry detergent turning her brain to mush. The shirt was ridiculously large, which surprised her as she wasn’t a skinny girl and the thought made her clench her legs together. Fuck! She shook her head and grabbed her glasses, and put them on before grabbing the shorts and wriggling herself in them. Unlike the shirt, the shorts fit quite snugly over her curves, again she wasn’t a skinny girl. When she turned and faced the mirror, looking at herself and saw that the shirt covered the shorts entirely, giving the illusion that she was wearing nothing underneath. The shameful part of herself felt pleased with the idea of Jeongguk seeing her like this. At the thought, her nipples hardened beneath the shirt, and without a bra they were showing right through the shirt. She cursed under her breath at the sight and decided it made no sense worrying over it. The night had been a whirlwind of unpredictable events and right now she was a little too tired to care, especially with 2 classes tomorrow. She groaned at the mental reminder. She decided it was time to exit the bathroom and face the music, lest her host think she was up to no good.
She tidied the bathroom as best as she could and grabbed her wet clothes and left. When she opened the door, she was met with the sound of a knife chopping coming from the kitchen which was right in her line of sight. She stared at him for a second as he cut up whatever vegetable he had in his hands. It was as if she was watching one of his lives, instead she wasn’t, this was happening in real time, beyond the phone screen. That realization made her very aware of the situation she was in and suddenly she felt awful for her thoughts in the bathroom. As quiet as possible, she crept closer and closer, making her way into the kitchen and when she got close to the marble island at the center, Jeongguk turned to her. His eyes widened in surprise before his mouth spread into that familiar bunny smile that she had admired for years.
“Have a seat! I’m making some ramen, you're hungry right?” He spoke so quickly that it took a second for her brain to translate. She then relaxed at how jovial he was, the same sweetness he portrayed to the outside, something that shouldn't have surprised her as it was impossible to fake such a thing and pass it off as authentic. She smiled at him before speaking. “In a second, but I was wondering if I could wash these?” Her voice was timid as she held the clothes in his line of sight. Jeongguk blinked at the pile and said nothing, instead he walked around the island first, coming in front of her.
“Gaja.” She was shocked when she felt him grab her wrist softly and led her to his laundry room. She watched as he took her clothes and put them into the washing machine, before turning to her. “Let me show you how to work this.” He pulled her in front of him. She let out a breath hoping he couldn’t hear it as she felt the heat of his body on her back combined with the scent of his shower gel and whatever products he used afterwards. Her knees felt weak as she listened mindlessly to him showing her how to operate his complicated machine. It took a second for her to register that he was asking her a question.
“Y/N? You ok?” She didn’t think before she turned to face him. She gasped at how close he was and saw the way his eyes softened and the way his nose flared slightly. His breath wafted in her face, the minty scent of his toothpaste mudding her senses. She backed up, trying to put distance between them, but she came in contact with the washing machine, preventing her from moving away. Jeongguk tilted his head slightly at her movement and registered how flustered she was. He couldn’t help the corner of his mouth from tilting upwards into a smirk before he cornered her completely. He placed his hands on either side of the machine, caging her between himself and it. She whimpered, unable to conceal the reaction and he couldn’t help himself, she was like a pretty flower waiting for him to pluck and keep against his chest forever.
He leaned his body even closer, not breaking eye contact and watched as she resisted. He was amused and enjoyed teasing her like this and wondered how she would look in this same position but in his bed with far less clothes. “W-wha–” She started to utter. The thick tension in the air broke when Jeongguk reached behind them and pressed start on the washer before separating. Y/N glared at him and scoffed when she saw the teasing smirk on his face. She breathed harshly and realized that he was playing with her. Without speaking she pushed past him and exited the washing room and felt her face heat up at the sly chuckle he let out behind her mingling with his footsteps as he followed.
[...]
Jeongguk felt pleased as he whipped up their meal while stealing glances at his pretty girl in front of him. After their moment in his laundry room she had put in her airpods and typed aimlessly on her macbook, ignoring his presence entirely. He could tell that he had got under her skin by the way a slight blush stained her cheeks. It was barely visible due to the hue of her skin but as close as he was he could tell and he took pride in it. He had made his decision after his shower, she was his, he would woo her beyond being her idol and take her on a nice date if she was willing. He wanted her beyond sex. Wanted more than anything he had ever wanted in his life. His thoughts were flooded with images of her sitting just like this as he made their dinner, smiling and laughing at his antics, at complete ease in their shared home. He was fucked.
He couldn’t keep the smile off of his face even as he placed her serving in front of her. He watched her closely and saw how she slowly lifted her head up to look at him. Her face was neutral, trying to conceal the raging emotions that her eyes gave away. Nervousness, frustration, lust, and adoration all at once. She was hesitant of course. She didn’t know him. Not truly. Only knew what he put out there into the world, and although he was close to who he was on the outside, it was a mere snippet of his true self. He wanted her to know and see every part of him and bundle him up into her heart and never let him go.
Y/N took her airpods out and took the bowl from him. “Thank you.” She said softly. She was still annoyed at his teasing but mostly excited at the events that had transpired. The irrational part of her brain was winning and she was conflicted because of it.
“Sit with me.” He said to her, he was beside her now, standing with his bowl of ramen as he motioned towards the large couch in his larger living room. She glanced at it and then back at him. She bit her lip before sighing and removing herself from the stool on the island. Jeongguk smiled and allowed her to walk in front of him. He clenched his jaw as his eyes greedily ate up her figure. The shorts—his shorts—cupped her generous backside beautifully and the large shirt had rode up revealing it all to him. He was broken from his leering when she sat down, and being the little brat he was, he sat right beside her, their knees practically touching as he grabbed the remote from the coffee table.
“Why did you let me stay?” Jeongguk looked at her after she spoke. He took in the way brows furrowed in confusion after asking her question. Her eyes behind her glasses pleaded with him for an honest answer and he felt his entire being soften, unable to hide the affection and endearment he felt for her.
“Because I like you,” he said honestly. She scoffed, turning her eyes away from him, refusing to believe what he had just admitted.
“You don’t even know me.” She argued. Her voice rose an octave, coming out in a slight whine that he found adorable.
“Then let me get to know you. We can get to know each other. I can go first.” He placed his bowl on the coffee table. His ramen momentarily forgotten as he turned his body fully to face her with his legs crisscrossed on the couch. He reached for her food and did the same with her bowl, before taking her hands into his. She looked at him shyly at the contact and Jeongguk fought the cheeky smile threatening to spread across his face.
“Hello. I’m Jeon Jeongguk, I’m 28 years old and I am a singer. I love dancing, singing, eating, working out and riding my motorcycle from time to time. What about you?” Y/N giggled at his words. He smiled in response as he broke the ice, dispelling her original shyness. She came to and calmed her giggles and relayed some things about herself.
“Hello, my name is Y/N L/N and I’m 23 years old. I’m from The Bahamas but I’ve lived in Korea for 1 ½ years now. I’m a masters student at SNU, studying literature and creative writing. I also TA and make youtube videos here and there. Happy?” Jeongguk couldn’t help but be delighted at the new information he had received and the cheekiness she returned to him. He liked her. He really really liked her.
“You said you were ARMY. How long?” He inquired. She hesitated before answering.
“Since 2018.”
“Really??!” Jeongguk was shocked that she had been a fan for so long. Surprisingly he felt no apprehension at her being a fan. If anything he was delighted, he couldn’t explain it but everything about this felt right.
“I swear I’m not a crazy fan or anything!” He laughed at her nervous response. He tapped her nose with his finger and chuckled when she sucked her teeth in response. She was adorable, he thought. He was about to speak, however, in unison their stomachs growled. They looked at each other and busted out laughing before retrieving their bowls and digging in.
[...]
They returned to the kitchen after eating to wash up, Jeongguk had designated the task to himself and rejected Y/N from assisting. She relented and reclaimed her seat on the other side of the island as she watched, entranced, by his back as he completed the mundane domestic task. She couldn’t believe that the irrationality was right. That she was living in a world where she had caught the eye of a man like Jeongguk—celebrity status aside, he was an ideal man—one that she had felt that her awkwardness would deter. With him it was the opposite. From the looks of it he wanted her because of the qualities she thought unsavory. It made her question her own esteem in that moment, perhaps she was too hard on herself due to her constant pursuit of perfection. That had to be it. She had had guys shown interest before and had rejected them or deterred them out of fear. She had one serious relationship as a 20 year old, and it was brief but horrible enough that she threw herself into her goals rather than pursue the idea of romance. The choice had turned her into her shell and upon having one meal with the man in front of her had forced her out of it.
She liked him. She really liked him. She smiled fondly at the thought and watched as he turned to face her after cleaning the kitchen. He was drying his hands when he caught her eye and Jeongguk gazed into her alluring orbs with fondness and something deeper than mere infatuation. He thought of something then, and felt mischief dwell in his chest alongside the emotions he felt for her.
“So you're an ARMY…Who is your bias?” He chuckled at her answering squeal. She put her face in her hands concealing her expressions from him and that was an answer within itself, but he needed to hear her say it. “Come on! Tell me” he urged. He leaned over and took her hands into his, forcing her to look him directly in the eyes. She tried turning her head away from him but he took her chin into his hand to keep her in place. Her breath hitched and she nibbled at the corner of her lip as she gathered her words.
“This is embarrassing.” Her words came out in a whiny tone that he found cute.
“I want to know.” He replicated her tone.
“It’s you ok! Happy!” He laughed loudly at that and released her from his hands. She covered her face again, squealing in embarrassment unaware of her bias’ intentions. Jeongguk wasted 0 time and lifted her from the chair and threw her over his shoulder. She let out a shout but he laughed and carried her back to the couch despite her protests.
“Put me down! I’m heavy!” She complained. Jeongguk scoffed at her words. She was as light as a feather to him. He laid her on the couch, positioning her on her side so that he could lay behind her. She was surprised at his actions once more and gasped at feeling his body pressed against hers, but she didn’t complain, she liked it. He had gotten the remote in his hands and turned on the TV in front of them, caging her in his arms as lay sideways.
“You doing anything tomorrow?” he asked.
“Hmm. I have 2 classes. Shit! I have a presentation. It's at 10am.” she despaired as she finally remembered. She had it prepared already but it was approaching 1 am and she hadn’t slept due to the turn of tonight.
“Don’t worry, I’ll take you first thing.” He replied as if it was the easiest thing in the world. She turned to face him then and suddenly realized just how close they were. If she moved her face an inch closer their lips would touch.
“I have my car.”
“So? I want to take you.” He replied. His hand had moved to her face, stroking his thumb softly against her cheek.
“Why?” she asked with furrowed brows.
“Because I like you.” He said with a fond smile. She ducked her head down and buried her face into his neck, squealing like a school girl, causing him to laugh.
“You can’t keep saying that!” She uttered.
“Why can’t I?” He teased.
“Because I can’t handle it.” She admitted. She had liked him too. Far more than she should have as she had only known him personally for 2 hours, but it was expected as she had been a fan of him for so long.
“Then I’ll keep saying it. I like seeing you like this. So cute.” She sucked her teeth in response. Accepting her defeat, she relaxed into him fully, feeling her body tire. She felt his hand move to the nape of her neck and he caressed it, slowly coaxing her to sleep.
[...]
Jeongguk was in heaven. It had been almost an hour since she fell asleep in his arms and he enjoyed the way her face relaxed fully in her sleep. She was gorgeous, he thought as he took off her glasses and stretched his hand over, placing them on the coffee table behind her. A drama played on the TV, the volume extremely low, but he didn’t pay attention to it. He simply gazed upon her, memorizing every feature. Her brows were thick and perfectly groomed framing her almond shaped eyes perfectly. Jeongguk knew he had been ruined for anyone else the moment he saw her, but just now, in that moment, he truly registered and understood the deep affection he had been battling since the convenience store that night. He was falling in love.
He accepted it. He didn’t dare refuse the gift he was given with their faithful encounter. He had given up on relationships years ago. Half of his life had been owned so that he could live out his dreams and he had struggled with the visibility he received for ages. He had started to truly find himself 3 years ago and had learned to love the parts that were ridiculed by the masses instead of taking their words and hatred as fact. He had grown in these past years and was content with himself for the first time in a long time to the point that seeking a partner was not his priority, but he wouldn’t be opposed to it if the right person had come along. He had waited. Served his time in the military and was preparing for a comeback with his hyungs and suddenly, the quiet acceptance of being alone had shattered in the seconds when he shrouded with her scent in the store. He smiled as he looked at her, continuing his caresses that had her sigh with content in her sleep. She was the last piece he needed to make himself truly whole. With that thought, he placed a soft kiss on her forehead finally relaxed fully and stopped fighting sleep.
