Popularity—that was a territory I never expected to be familiar with. I was just a normal girl with average looks, content to survive high school through quiet classes and passing exams. I never thought about being popular or befriending anyone who was. Someone like me, who gets awkward just talking to strangers, definitely wasn't cut out for this.
'P-p-prince!'
The girls were still screaming his name, but he didn't care; he was clearly used to it. He gave them a sweet wave, and even some boys waved back, their eyes full of admiration. With his free hand, he continued to playfully tug Yuna's ear, who was looking sheepish.
"Kookie, don't be so mean to me! You know how excited I get when I see a cute girl!" Yuna whined.
"Yeah, I know. But you should really tell that to Daeun," he replied, giving Yuna a knowing look.
Yuna looked genuinely horrified. She gasped and blurted out a plea. "No! I was just kidding! Don't tell her! Once she gets moody, there's no holding her back."
"I won't, of course," he promised.
"Thank God, you are the best bunny—"
"Because your fan club would have already reached her if I had," he finished, smirking.
"Nooooo!" Yuna wailed dramatically.
Smirking, he finally let go of her ear. Yuna slumped back into her seat, sighing loudly, pulling at her hair, and mumbling, "What should I do?" repeatedly like a mantra.
He turned to me, offering a kind, slightly apologetic smile. "Sorry if she made you uncomfortable. She's always like that—overly excited. But don't worry, there's someone who can keep her in check."
"No—no, it's alright," I stammered.
He gave me a gentle, heartwarming smile, his bunny teeth showing. He was truly cute and handsome, like someone who had jumped right out of a fairytale. His normal black hair somehow made him even more striking, and he was tall—really tall. I barely reached his height, and Yuna, who was sitting next to me, was just as tall as him.
"I'm Jungkook, by the way, and you are—"
'Oh, please tell me I wasn't staring at him that whole time, someone tell me!' I pleaded internally.
"Y/n," I managed. "I'm Y/n. Nice to meet you, Prince."
'Oh my God, what did I just say?!' I should have taken communication classes or something before coming to this new school. How utterly embarrassing.
"Just call me Kookie," he said, chuckling softly. "My friends call me that."
"Right, Kookie. Thank you." I said shyly, the sirens going off in my head. I swore I could feel steam coming out of my ears; my face must have been completely red.
"Thank you for what? You're a funny girl," Kookie said, his eyes crinkling.
"Thank you," I repeated awkwardly.
He laughed a little more, then pulled the chair from the front row and sat down, turning toward me. "Today is your first day, right? Even I don't know the school layout perfectly, but don't worry. My hyungs know everything, so if you need anything, I'll help you ask."
"Yes, I will," I nodded, looking down, too flustered to meet his eyes again. He smiled and started using the phone he pulled from his pocket.
'Shit—what just happened?'
He was surprisingly sweet, and so was Yuna. Wait—I just realized Yuna had slipped away somewhere. Still feeling flushed, I grabbed my own phone with a sweaty hand and started scrolling mindlessly through my apps, trying to lessen the awkward tension.
'Kookie. Such a cute name. His friends call him that. Wait—I called him that, too... D-does that mean we are friends now?'
I was so lost in my internal debate that I completely forgot I was sitting on a chair, not paying attention to my surroundings. My phone, slick with sweat, slipped right out of my grasp.
*THUD*
It hit the hard floor with a loud, attention-grabbing noise.
Jungkook immediately looked up from his phone, his bunny eyes wide. I wanted the floor to swallow me whole.