Chapter 35

Three months have passed since my move. I have enjoyed every single minute of it. My job keeps me extremely busy but I get time to explore the city. Seri has found an African restaurant where I can eat every time I get homesick.

Apart from that, when I want to eat an African meal, I cook it myself. Seri has been with me while I cook trying to learn everything she could about my culture. A curious one. I liked her. Apart from her, I have been hanging out with Jungkook more. We went to an amusement park and I was so surprised. He rented the whole place again.

I kept forgetting he was a billionaire. We had so much fun that day, I will never forget it. It's engraved deep inside my mind. We have tried other restaurants as well during our meetings. He shared his life as an idol and all I could think was,' I can't relate to this man at all'.

We were the same age but he has accomplished a lot more than me. So much more than everyone else. Although his success didn't come easily he still worked hard. I liked him. No....not like that but as a friend. He motivates me. One thing that kept bothering me was the fact that I never met Namjoon even once.

I have met Taehyung. We went to a restaurant together, the three of us and it was fun. He didn't like spicy food which was the complete opposite of both of us. He was fun to be around. He promised to take me to meet some of my favorite actors if I had time. Of course, I agreed quickly. Who wouldn't want to meet their favorite actors?

I had a long list of people I wanted to meet. Both actors and Idols but I didn't mention it to them. I didn't want to sound too eager.

Yesterday Jungkook sent me his address, as I was supposed to teach him how to cook my favourite dish. He said he wanted to learn and cook for me once in a while. I agreed to teach him, because why not?

" We are here Miss Avah" my driver announced

" Thank you so much"

I didn't notice we arrived. When I climbed out of the car I was met by high buildings. I thought our building was tall but now it looked so small compared to this one. So where to begin?

What's your house number

He texted me back immediately. I followed his instructions and ended up at his doorstep. I rang the bell and waited for him to open. He opened almost immediately and let me in. It was my first time in his house. I removed my shoes and followed him in.

" Welcome"

" Thank you"

I placed my bag on the table and sat on the couch.

"How have you been?" I asked

" I have been well. How about you?"

" I'm doing great. So let's get down to business"

" Sure"

I follow him to the kitchen. I took it upon myself to open the fridge and get the ingredients needed. I smiled when I saw he bought all the spices I asked for.

" Was it hard getting these spices?" I asked

"It was but I had someone buy them for me"

While we were talking I heard a door close.

"You were not alone?" I asked

"No, Hyung has been here for two hours"

I was dying to ask which Hyung but I didn't want to sound too eager to know. I prayed to the heavens that it wasn't him. Please, let it not be him. As I separated what we needed in bowls the Hyung he was referred to came into the kitchen.

What did I expect? Someone would magically make him disappear because I asked them to? I have never been that lucky when it came to this sort of thing. Namjoon stopped at the kitchen entrance when he saw me.

His eyes wavered from mine to Jungkook's. His eyes were full of curiosity and something else. Anger. Or annoyance, I couldn't tell. But one thing was for sure, he wondered how Jungkook and I knew each other.

" Hyung, this was the girl I was telling you about that I met at the airport" Jungkook explained without reading the room.

He needs to work on his social cues. I extended my hand to greet him and he took it. His grip was tight but a bit shaky. He was indeed surprised to see me considering how we left things between us. When I noticed he wasn't letting my hand go, I pulled away from him and busied myself.

His eyes never left me. They followed my every move.

" So we are going to cook something simple. Some might call it simple like me but most people may refer to it as complicated" I explained, "Are you ready Jungkook?"

" Yes" both of them responded at the same time.

" Hyung, you want to learn too?" asked Jungkook giggling at the thought of Namjoon cooking.

"Yes, I want to," he said decisively.

" I know you have no experience cooking Namjoon so I'll give you some tips to help ease your way into the kitchen"

" Where do we start Avah?" Asked Jungkook eager to start.

" Do you have any whiskey in the house?" I asked

" Yes," he answered puzzled by where this was going.

" Pour us a drink, the process will take a while"

As he prepared our drinks I connected my tablet to his system and put an Afro beats playlist mixed with their music. As Ngozi by Arya Star and Carbon filled the room, it changed the vibe completely.

After the first drink, I delegated some duties. Namjoon was on peeling garlic, while I peeled potatoes since I was faster than both of them and Jungkook was on dicing the vegetables.

As we both concentrated on our work and the music filled the room, we couldn't help but relax. I could see Namjoon moving his feet to the rhythm in the background. Happiness washed over me as I watched him beneath my lashes. He was doing well. He was healthy. What more could I ask for?

After Namjoon and I were done, I gave him the job of smashing the garlic separately, then green bell pepper, coriander, and lastly blending the tomatoes. I wanted him to be as useful as possible. I didn't want him to feel left out or anything like that.

Once we were all done with the preparation, we could start cooking. With the two men on either side, I was sandwiched between them as their eyes watched the cooking pot in wonder as I mixed the ingredients.

Within minutes the Pilau masala scent filled the entire house.

" It smells amazing" Jungkook spoke in wonder

" I agree" replied Namjoon who was so close to me, that I could feel his breath on my neck as he bent over to see properly.

I needn't remind you guys how short I was. These two men were towering over me like giants while I was a dwarf in comparison to their large stature. I cooked while I explained what should be put after what and not the other way around.

" African dishes have so many ingredients," Namjoon remarked

" Yes, some meals take hours to prepare but are pretty easy to cook"

As we waited for food to cook Namjoon and Jungkook kept asking me questions about my home and my personal life. I answered them diligently and sincerely since I didn't see any point in lying.

"Are you seeing anyone?" Jungkook asked slyly

I could sense this question was coming from a mile away. They were both curious, not just Jungkook. From the change in Namjoon's deminure, he was interested in the answer.

"No" I answered before I went to check on our food.

Taking a bite from each corner I confirmed that it was ready.

"Set the table please, the food is ready " I announced.

Moving on rapidly from my dating life, they set the table and I served our food. I added everything we could have had if we were at my home. Namjoon, at the head seat while I sat on his right and Jungkook on his left. I didn't think too much about the seating arrangement since I didn't care.

I showed them how we ate this specific meal. I waited eagerly for their first taste.

Namjoon took a bite first and his face changed from that of wonder to euphoria. He was enjoying the food which prompted Jungkook to try it. When he placed a spoon in his mouth and started chewing, he started hitting the table causing both of us to burst out laughing.

We knew of his behavior when he liked food specifically. We ate as they kept complimenting my cooking skills until I couldn't help but blush. Jungkook said he wished I could cook this particular meal for all the members and I answered with why not. It wasn't a big deal anyway.

After stuffing ourselves until we could barely move, we watched a short movie to help with our digestion before we could leave for our homes. By the time the movie ended, it was midnight and my cue to leave.

" I'll be leaving now" I announced to them

" I can drive you home" Jungkook offered

" No, that is okay. I will take a cab"

" I feel bad for making you cook for us and then letting you leave alone"

" I will take her home'' Namjoon decided and walked to the door.

Seems like I didn't have a choice but to follow him. I knew we had a lot we had to talk about but I wished we didn't have to do it today.