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“Are you ready, yet?” You watch your reflection jump when the incessant rapping begins on the door and you hear your boyfriend’s loud whine over the dull roar of your blow dryer.“Patience is a virtue, Jeon Jeong-guk.”“Don’t use my formal name on me to try and cover up the fact that you are taking literally forever to get ready.”You can see him in your mind’s eye: pouting, impatiently creating Timberland shaped wear marks in the plush hotel carpet, and pointing at the door to scold you.“You can’t do big things if you are distracted by the little things.”“Exactly! That is why I am leaving in two minutes--with or without you.”“You wouldn’t dare! This is our date night!”“No quote? Wow!” His sarcasm is palpable through the wood barrier. “You don’t seem too excited about it so I can just go on my own. I’ve been looking forward to this for weeks and I’m not going to miss it.”You hear him move away from the door. Turning off the blow dryer, you hear him rummaging around the room so you pull out your makeup bag for the finishing touches.“Give me five minutes!” You inform him, but you aren’t sure he hears you as he begins speaking at the exact same moment from right outside the bathroom door.“I’ll grab some food on the way home! Don’t stay up! Love you!”“Jungkook!”The click of the door latch and subsequent silence shocks you.
Did he really just…?
Hurriedly tossing your makeup bag to the side, you swing open the door and find an empty hotel room. Your eyes are wide and your heart is racing as you throw on your shoes, grab your bag, and rush out the door. You don’t see him in the hallway, elevator, or lobby. Outside, the warmth of the setting sun on your skin would be pleasant if you were to give yourself time to soak it in, but you currently have a two-track mind. Track One: I’m glad I know where I’m going.andTrack Two: That impatient, immature, impulsive imbecile! Just wait… Turning sharply around the corner of a large brick building, you see your destination. The sharp colors, shimmering lights, and festive music make the scene look like a moment pulled directly from a teen movie. The sun is still in the sky, just barely, and the colors it is creating as a backdrop to the city’s carnival is jaw-dropping. In fact, you take a moment to pause and snap a photograph with your phone. Even if you are beyond angry with your boyfriend, you can still stop and smell the metaphorical roses. You nod, pleased with yourself, while you replace your phone in your pocket and continue to scout out the crowd for your target. Target acquired. You pick up the pace as you make your way through the masses. Just as the scrawny teenager working the concession stand hands Jungkook his cotton candy, you push into his shoulder and steal the sweet confection.“Hey! That’s mine!”“Well, you’re a prick that left his girlfriend at the hotel in a strange city to go to a carnival, so I think it is only fair.” You continue to walk aimlessly through the fair, making a grandiose showing of eating small clouds of the pastel goodness.“You were taking too long,” he defends.You don’t say anything, just continuing to stroll through the crowd. You never have been the best at hiding your emotions so Jungkook can tell just how upset you are.“I knew you’d catch up!”Your movement halts only when you reach the line to purchase tickets. Jungkook is looking at you, almost helplessly, as you scan the ticket prices and then people watch while waiting.“Babe, seriously, I knew you’d come once you were done.”You take another bite of the cotton candy as the family in front of you buys their weight in tickets.“Sweetie, I love you. Please talk to me.” His hand hesitantly comes to rest on your lower back. “I’m sorry if I upset you. I just…”“40 tickets please!” You say sweetly to the woman in the ticket booth. When she calculates the price, you look expectantly at Jungkook. The passive aggressive smirk that you shoot his way makes him sigh and reach into his pocket.“Thank you!” You tell the woman cheerfully as you grab the tickets and walk away from the booth with Jungkook following closely behind like a lost puppy.“Y/N,” he starts.“Jungkook!” You turn around abruptly. “I’ll bet you a shaved ice that I can beat you.” You nod your head toward the classic bottle game, where you see two children trying their hardest to knock down their pyramids of bottles with a ball, both failing.He looks back and forth between you and the game several times before a competitive sparkle appears in his chestnut eyes and a smirk comes to his face.“You’re on!”An hour later, you have managed to win shaved ice, pretzels, a funnel cake, two stuffed animals, and a goldfish.“One more game!” Jungkook declares as he looks around the carnival. “If I win, you owe me a kiss.”“And if I win?”“I’ll ride whatever ride you decide without any complaints.”You nod and follow him to the final game of your competition-- skeeball.“You’re going down, babe! You know how good I am at bowling...this is like the same thing!” He boasts as he places some coins in your palm to begin the game. The booth attendant looks at you with a raised eyebrow, to which you respond with a shrug.“Whatever you say, Kookie.” You respond innocently.“Alright, let’s start at the same time. Five, four, three, two, one…”The clink of coins entering the machines precedes the rumble of the balls rolling down the chute towards the two of you.The next two minutes are filled with Jungkook’s exclamations of success. He is so wrapped up in the competition he doesn’t notice how quiet you are or the noises coming from the scoreboard on your machine.When the final buzzer sounds, your scoreboard flashes WINNER!“WooHoo!” You cheer, raising your hands in victory. Your right arm isn’t able to fully extend though because it comes in contact with...something.“Ooof,” you hear from beside you.Turning your head, almost comically slow, you take in the scene to your right.The booth attendant has her hands over her mouth and her eyes crinkling with laughter or worry as she looks at the person doubled over in front of her.Jungkook is covering his face with both hands, swaying forward and backward, mumbling words that you can’t understand.“Oh no! Jungkook! I didn’t mean too!” You kneel down in front of him and gently grasp his wrists.“Kookie?” He shakes his head. “Are you okay? Let me see, please?”He takes a deep breath and brings his hands down, looking directly at them in search of blood.There is none.Wide-eyed, you take in his face. There is a pink spot on his cheekbone but everything else looks normal, all things considered.“I’m so sorry, Kookie!” You pull yourself up and place a gentle kiss on his cheek. “I didn’t mean to hit you! I didn’t realize you were that close to me. I’m sorry!”He gives you a shy smile before looking around at the small audience the two of you have drawn.“It’s fine, Y/N. Karma is just catching up to me, I guess.” He grins more genuinely now. “Grab your things and choose a ride. You won fair and square, even though you should’ve probably been penalized for excessive celebration.” He pushes his arm into yours lightly.“We don’t have to, babe.” You counter. “We can get you some ice and just head back to the hotel...”“No, I’m a man of my word. We are going on at least one ride.” He turns around in a dramatic fashion. “Pick your poison, Y/N.”You take in your choices before grabbing his hand and pulling him in a determined direction.He laughs as you tug him into the waiting car of the Ferris wheel.“You had to win a bet to get me to ride a Ferris wheel?” He jokes.“No, I just thought it’d be a nice change of pace.” You grin.The two of you spend the next few minutes holding hands while looking over the carnival. No words are exchanged, but both of your minds are going miles per second.“I’m sorry.” Jungkook stares straight ahead. You wouldn’t know he had been the source of the apology if you hadn’t felt him shift in the seat at the same time.The bright skyline behind Jungkook is a stark contrast to his slightly defeated posture. It seems as though the day has caught up with him and hit him hard.“I should’ve waited. This was a date for us, not me. I was selfish,” he continues. “I can’t make an excuse because there aren’t any. I was a jerk.”You don’t say anything, knowing that he isn’t finished by the crease forming between his eyebrows. He turns slightly and brings his eyes up to meet yours.“I should always wait for you, Y/N. I will always wait for you. I love you so much.”“You just walked out.”
“But, I said I love you!”
“You were a jerk.”“I said that.”“You were selfish.”“Said that too.”You smile gently, “I forgive you, Kookie.”The relief that spreads through his body is probably visible from the ground. He pulls you into his side and gives you a lingering hug.Right at that moment, an elaborate firework show begins to illuminate the skyline and carnival.“Do you see the power you have? You forgive me and fireworks go off. My girlfriend controls the world!” He teases as he turns his head to look at you again.“And my boyfriend is laying on the brown-nosing quite thick tonight.” You grin, leaning in and capturing his lips in the first kiss you two had shared that day. It had been a long day and this moment, this kiss, embodies all of the highs and lows. Leaning your forehead against his, you caress his cheek before opening your eyes.You gasp.“What?”You continue to softly rub your thumb across his cheek, moving slightly higher until he flinches.The warm colors of the fireworks cascade in your guilt-ridden eyes. “I’m so sorry, Kookie.” You supply quietly.“You gave me a black eye, didn’t you?” He asks.You nod meekly.A finger under your chin brings Jungkook’s eyes back into focus.“What goes around, comes around.” He shrugs and smiles. “Don’t apologize, it was an accident.”“But your face…”“Will heal.” He finishes for you. “Until then, I’ll look even more rugged.” He scrunches his face in a way that was intended to make him look intimidating, but it instead looks like you need to get off of the Ferris wheel and find the nearest bathroom.You can’t help yourself: you giggle.“There’s my girl!” He grins, pulling you back into his side. The two of you watch the firework show in silence until the end. As the final embers fizzle out, you look up at him.“I love you, Kookie.”“And I love you.” He places a kiss on your nose. “Let’s go back to the hotel.”You nod against his chest before pulling away, preparing to depart the ride.Once firmly on the ground, you entwine his fingers with yours and tug him toward the concession stand for the fourth time that night.“You’re still hungry?”“No. Let’s get you some ice for the walk back.”“Aww...that’ll get rid of it faster!” He complains. You place the faintest of kisses on the bruise.He winces. “You’re right. Ice would be good.”“Many receive advice, but only the wise profit from it.” You smirk while you wait.“Well then, I must be the smartest man in the world.”“And why is that?”“I feel like I live the richest life.” He leans forward.“You’re ego is showing again, Kookie.” You place the bag of ice gently on his cheekbone.“And you’re keeping me in check. See? Smartest man right here!” He points to himself with his hand that is not holding the bag of ice. Shaking your head, the two of turn in the direction of the hotel. You lean your head against his shoulder, one hand grabbing his pointing one and the other holds onto his upper arm.“Thanks for catching up, Y/N.” He nearly whispers a few minutes later.“Always”