❤️

the bass thrummed through the bar’s speakers, low and heavy. jungkook sat hunched over his drink, the lights catching the ink on his knuckles as he rolled the cold glass of vodka between his tattooed fingers.

the bar smelled oddly like cigarette smoke and cheap perfume, and the sign flickering behind him painted the edge of his sharp jaw in violent red.

he didn’t smile. he barely even blinked. and yet every woman in the damn place kept glancing his way.

jungkook didn’t do anything to invite them, he never needed to. he had that permanent scowl and cold eyes that made it very clear he didn’t fuck with anyone unless he felt like it. and when he did feel like it, he chose recklessly and without a shred of apology.

tonight though, he was just drinking. until a palm slapped the back of his shoulder.

“dude–” jimin’s voice cut through the music. “i swear on my grandma’s ashes this super hot chick’s been eye-fucking you since we walked in! like, full-on porno stare. how the hell do you do it, bro?”

jungkook didn’t bother turning at first. just tilted his head lazily, let his eyes follow the direction jimin jerked his chin toward.

and yeah. there she was indeed. a gorgeous woman with long, dark hair and a short tight dress that left no room for imagination. confident posture, bold makeup. she was everything but subtle with the way her gaze dragged over him from head to toe, shameless as she bit her lip, slow and deliberate.

jungkook’s tongue pressed into his cheek, a smirk cutting across his mouth. “what can i say, man?” he murmured, voice deep and lazy. “it’s no news chicks be thirsting over me all the damn time.” he lifted his glass and sent her a wink.

jimin held up his beer like he wanted to smash it over jungkook’s head. “you need to bury your ego so far up your asshole no one can find it.”

jungkook shrugged. “sounds like jealousy to me.”

jimin opened his mouth in disbelief. “jealous? of you? bro, the only thing you attract is thirty ass hoes.”

jungkook’s smirk sharpened. “at least i’m getting pussy. what you got, huh?”

jimin didn’t even hesitate. he swung a playful punch at jungkook’s shoulder. “i’m getting fucking flowers, man. flowers. and you’ll never, NEVER dream of getting any.”

jungkook snorted. “i don’t fuck with flowers. only petals i’m interested in are good girls’ pussies.”

jimin gagged so dramatically he almost fell off the stool. “bro you’re DISGUSTING.”

jungkook lifted his glass, unbothered. “i’m honest.”

“oh my god,” jimin groaned, dragging a hand down his face. “why am i even friends with your nasty ass?”

“because you love me dude.”

“i really fuckin’ don’t.”

jungkook raised a brow. jimin cracked and the two of them burst out laughing at the same time.

just on cue, a couple of snorts came from behind them, three dudes from their crew strolling up like they owned the place. guys jungkook trained with, fought with, and drank with. loud as hell, but loyal until death.

“yo, jaykay! jim!” kai slapped jimin’s back, then jungkook’s shoulder. hard enough that any normal person would’ve winced. jungkook didn’t even flinch.

“wassup, my guys?” jackson grinned, fist-bumping them both.

“same shit, different night,” jimin muttered.

mark leaned in. “ay, jeon– there’s somebody asking for you near the entrance.”

jungkook didn’t even look up from his drink. “girl?”

“nah,” the guy said with a shrug. “just some dude.”

jungkook’s expression twisted into instant annoyance. “then tell him to fuck off.”

all three guys whistled like he’d just thrown a punch. they were so used to his moodiness. used to the fact jungkook tolerated exactly five people on the planet, and four of them were standing around him right now.

jimin barked out a laugh. “bro’s allergic to anything that’s not his bike or doesn’t have a vagina.”

the guys hollered, pointing at jungkook because yeah, that was true as hell.

“facts,” jackson snickered. “ain’t nobody grumpier than this man.”

“for real,” kai added. “jungkook talks with his fists more than his mouth. last week he knocked out a dude before even hearing what he wanted.”

“didn’t like his face,” jungkook muttered flatly, taking another drink.

jimin rolled his eyes. “you’re a menace.”

jungkook shrugged. “i’m not here to mingle with some dude who thinks he got something to say to me.”

jimin snorted. “yeah you’re only down to get your dick sucked.”

jungkook smirked. “please. i get my dick sucked for free and still walk out with a pussy bonus. that’s a loyalty program to die for.”

the guys lost it, elbowing each other, doing stupid obscene gestures with their hands.

“jaykay jeon!! ladies and gentlemen!” mark cackled.

“bro, this man’s dick got more mileage than his bike,” jackson joked, making a two-handed gesture that earned him a shove from jimin.

“shut the fuck up,” jimin groaned, rubbing his forehead. “you’re all disgusting as hell.”

jungkook leaned back lazily in his stool, smirk deepening. “he knows me so well.”

jimin flicked him off. “unfortunately.”

they all cracked up again.

the guys eventually drifted off. kai headed to the pool tables, mark to the back hallway for whatever bullshit he was planning, and jackson toward the girls who’d been eyeing him since he walked in. the noise swallowed them up with heavy bass, clinking glasses, and someone shouting for shots.

jungkook finally had a moment of quiet. or he would’ve if his phone hadn’t started vibrating like it was getting possessed.

jimin lifted a brow. “dude… that’s gotta be your mom. no girl blows up your phone like that unless she’s sending nudes, and we both know you’d be smiling if that were the case.”

jungkook groaned, rubbing a hand over his face like the headache was physically crawling out of his skull. “she’s been on my ass all week.”

jimin snorted. “then pick up. don’t keep her waiting, mama’s boy.”

jungkook’s glare could’ve melted steel. but he still dug the phone out of his pocket because ignoring her would only make things worse.

another loud buzz made jungkook exhale hard. “for fuck’s sake,” he muttered and lifted the phone to his ear.

“what’s good ma,” he said, scanning the bar lazily; girls leaning into guys, low lights bleeding across figures, the smell of alcohol and sweat mixing thick in the air.

jimin snickered loudly behind him. jungkook didn’t even look; he just threw a side punch blindly, forcing jimin to dodge it with a laugh.

then his mother’s voice erupted through the speaker. sharp, stressed, and overly pissed.

“gguk! why aren’t you answering your phone? i’ve been calling all day! do you ever check anything? i swear, you disappear like you don’t care about your poor old mo–”

jungkook tilted his head back, closing his eyes. “mom…”

“are you still outside? what’s that noise? it’s too late! don’t tell me you’re still out at this hour!”

jungkook’s eyes snapped open. oh shit. he’s twenty eight for fucks sake, but he somehow needs to make his mom believe he’s still a prude.

“nah, nah,” he said quickly, straightening in his seat. “i’m home with the guys, we’re just blasting music.”

jimin burst out laughing into his fist. jungkook elbowed him in the stomach to shut him up.

“oh! jiminie is there?” his mom perked up immediately, her voice glowing like a damn sunrise.

jungkook handed jimin the phone with a dead stare. “here. say hi so she stops thinking i’m snorting coke in an alley.”

jimin grinned and leaned in. “hi, mom!”

“jimin! oh my god, sweetheart, it’s been so long! how are you?!”

“living my best life, mom!! how have you been?”

jungkook wanted to throttle him. he sometimes hates how soft his mom gets with jimin, she thinks he’s an angel, which is a total lie.

mrs jeon returned to jungkook with a sigh that hit him right where he hated it. “jungkookie… i miss you. i miss my baby.”

everything in him stilled. he tried to hide the subtle drop in his shoulders, the moment his jaw loosened, the way he suddenly looked away from the crowd like the noise was getting too loud.

“…yeah,” he murmured. “miss you too mom.”

a small pause, not even longer than a minute, before she went for the kill. “so that means you’ll come home for the holidays, right? everyone in the village misses you.”

jungkook choked on air. the village? the holidays? “ma what– no, i never said– ”

“good! so it’s all settled! i’ll cook your favorite. love you baby!”

“ma wait–”

and the call ended just like that.

jungkook stared at his phone like it had just sentenced him to prison time.

jimin was already cackling at his terrified face. “what’d she say? bro, you look like someone told you your bike got repossessed.”

jungkook pushed his fingers into his hair and groaned. a long, deep and defeated groan. “looks like i’m spending the holidays in my hometown.”

jimin slapped the table. “nahh bro we had parties lined up all december! you’re missing out on that?”

jungkook flipped him off without looking. but jimin wasn’t done. “you’re telling me you’re trading strippers and tequila for goats and old people?”

jungkook rubbed the back of his neck, trying not to think too hard about it.

but he did. and he couldn’t help it.

the village. the mountains. that stupid freezing air. his childhood home. and more importantly, you.

it’s funny how his mind went there faster than he could stop it.

he hadn’t seen you since he walked out of that place. freshly eighteen, angry at the world, convinced he needed to run or suffocate.

you were only fifteen then. but hell, he remembered.

you, sitting on the old wooden steps with a sketchbook balanced on your knees.

you, with paint on your fingers and your little pigtails tugged with a ribbon you always fixed with your teeth.

you, scolding him when he stole your brushes.

you, shoving him when he made fun of the way you blushed.

it’s been ten years. ten years of bars and girls and mistakes. ten years of fast rides and faster nights. ten years of pretending the past didn’t exist.

but every once in a while, your face would flash in his head.

he wasn’t a saint. he’d slept with more women than he could count. dated girls the way he smoked cigarettes; quickly, carelessly, burning out halfway through.

but a man always remembers his first love. and fuck, you were his.

his mom had slipped your name a few times in conversation. “she’s still here!” she’d said casually. “she helps kids at the school sometimes!”

jungkook never asked for more. but only because he didn’t trust what answers would do to him.

a slow heat curled in his stomach from the thought. maybe going home wasn’t the worst idea after all.

a slight shift in the room pulled him back. followed by the sound of heels clicking, and the smell of strong perfume.

jungkook blinked once, settling back into the present as the girl from earlier strutted toward him. her hips swaying, eyes locked on him like she’d already picked him out and unwrapped him.

her red painted lips parted in a sweet little smirk. her dress glimmered under the lights, tight and short and very intentionally dangerous.

jungkook’s expression changed instantly. something darker sliding behind his eyes, something lazy and wicked curling into his mouth.

he forced every thought of you deep, deep down where nothing could reach it.

not tonight. tonight, he wanted to go numb. tonight, he wanted easy. tonight, he wanted to bury himself in someone who didn’t know a single real thing about him.

and she looked exactly like that.

jungkook leaned back in his seat, licking his lower lip slowly as she approached.

a slow, dirty smirk spread across his face. the kind that meant trouble for whoever was dumb enough to fall for it.

yeah. tonight had been a rough night for him. and he really, really needed to get laid.

. . .

you scrunched your face, as something tickled you at the very tip of your nose. you swatted the air with a lazy hand, half-asleep and very much not interested in waking up yet.

you let out a small whine, rolling onto your side. “hmm… stop…” the sensation didn’t go away. instead, it came back again followed by something warm and sticky pressing against your lips.

a groan, rumbled in your chest. “rocky… stoppp,” you mumbled, the words turning into a breathy giggle as sleep finally began to fade away.

the weight on your chest suddenly doubled as something small jumped softly onto you. your eyes fluttered open, blinking against the pale morning light. the first thing you saw was fur, scruffy, brown, and very much in your face.

little rocky stood proudly on your chest, tail wagging so hard his whole body shook.

“you’re unbelievable,” you whispered fondly, your lips curling into a sleepy smile as you reached up to cradle his head. your fingers slipped behind his ears, scratching gently. he melted instantly, leaning into your touch with a pleased little bark, one back leg thumping against the blanket.

“such a pretty boy. did you miss me? hmm?” you scratched under his chin, and he tipped his head back, offering his belly without any hesitation. “yes, you did, my love. yes, you did.”

with another giggle, you pushed yourself upright, carefully scooping the wriggling bundle of joy into your arms. he was full of affection, licking at your jaw, his tiny heart beating against your palm. “okay, okay, rockyyy, you lil’ boy, i’ll put you down,” you cooed and crouched, setting him down gently. the moment his paws hit the ground, he took off, nails clicking excitedly as he disappeared down the hallway. you watched him go, a fond smile playing on your lips.

you walked towards the window. a yawn escaped you as you grasped the edges of the floral curtains, you drew them back letting the cold air rush in.

it smelled like rain-soaked earth and damp leaves.

the late november sky was pale but bright, the sun peeking through low clouds.

movement below caught your eye. in the muddy lane between the cottages, two of the henderson children, wrapped in bright wellingtons and matching yellow raincoats, were jumping happily into puddles, shrieking with laughter every time water splashed up their boots. you giggled, resting your chin on your hands, watching them with quiet amusement.

today was saturday.

a small, familiar pang of disappointment touched you. no classroom today, no little voices struggling through french vowels or proudly showing off new words they’d memorized just for you. teaching the village children was your favorite part of the week. you loved their curiosity, their eagerness, the proud spark in their eyes when they mastered “bonjour” or “merci”

still, you shook the thought away. the day was too beautiful to waste on longing.

after getting dressed in your soft cream sweater and a long skirt, leaving your hair loose, the strands still holding the slight wave from yesterday’s braid, you headed into the living room. the smell of fresh orange juice and something sweet filled the air.

the low murmur of familiar voices greeted you as you approached the living room. it was a comforting sound to your ears that you grew up with. your mother’s home was a warm welcoming place where friends and neighbors drifted in and out with the ease of family.

“…and she said the ring was huge,” mrs. jeon was saying. “just one stone, but so shiny you could barely look at it.”

your mother laughed from her armchair. “barbara’s been glowing ever since. she told me all about his apartment before i even asked!”

you smiled as you entered the sunny room. your mother sat in her favorite armchair, a half-knitted scarf pooling in her lap. mrs. jeon was perched on the sofa, her hands wrapped around a steaming mug. both women radiated a comfortable, decades-old friendship.

“good morning,” you sang softly, your voice like honey in the room.

your mother’s face immediately brightened. “good morning sweetheart, did you sleep well?”

you drifted over, leaning down to press a gentle kiss to her forehead. “like a baby! the sound of the rain was the best lullaby.” you then turned to mrs. jeon, opening your arms. “good morning, auntie.”

“ah, my darling girl!” mrs. jeon enveloped you in a warm hug, she held you at arm’s length, her eyes crinkling. “look at you. you brighten a room just by walking into it. how do you do it?”

you felt a blush warm your cheeks and shook your head, dismissing the praise with a wave of your hand. “it’s all the sunshine you and mama bring in. i just reflect it.”

you made your way to the small kitchen table, where a plate of fluffy golden pancakes waited under a cloth. the buttery scent was just irresistible.

mrs. jeon turned back to your mother, sighing. “elisa, really. how did you manage to give birth to such an angel? was there a special prayer?”

your mother laughed, the sound warm and soothing. “what can i say, hae-un? it takes one to know one. only an angel could raise another, don’t you think?”

the two women burst into easy, familiar laughter. you smiled softly, spreading a generous dollop of your mother’s homemade strawberry jam that you’d helped pick and prepare, the berries from old mr. sakamoto’s patch at the edge of the village, onto a pancake.

you loved their friendship. fifty years of shared secrets, hardships, and joys. you hoped your own friendship with your best friend mandy, would be as enduring, something to grow old and gossipy with.

mrs. jeon’s gaze shifted back to you, her expression turning kindly curious. “barbara’s daughter, phoebe… she’s a friend of yours, isn’t she, dear?”

you nodded, swallowing a tender, sweet bite. “she is! we were in the same year at school. phoebe’s always been such a sweet person.” your words were genuine. you remembered a quiet girl with a nice smile, though your paths hadn’t crossed deeply since childhood. you held no space for negativity in your heart; if someone was kind, you remembered them as such.

mrs. jeon let out a fond ‘aww’, as if your sweetness physically pained her. “you truly are an angel walking this earth.”

your mother leaned forward. “apparently, the man phoebe’s marrying is some big businessman in georgia. barbara was telling me all about his company and how much money he earns a year!”

mrs. jeon laughed. “that’s barbara for you.”

you took a sip of orange juice, smiling along, and nodding gently. “i’m just so happy for phoebe,” you said, meaning it fully. “i hope they’ll be very happy together. may god bless their marriage!”

what you didn’t say out loud (but thought about briefly) was the version maddy had told you weeks ago. about phoebe going to the city for the first time, her night out at a club, and how she’d met a man there, how one thing led to another, and how it turned out he was wealthy, very wealthy. a millionaire, apparently.

maddy had made it sound so scandalous. you’d listened, surprised more than anything, but not judgmental. phoebe had told her mother eventually, leaving the part where she lost her virginity to him, maddy said she’d had to, or her mother would’ve worried herself sick.

thinking back on it now, you didn’t feel anything negative. just a quiet sense of relief that things had worked out. people found love in all sorts of unexpected ways. not every story looked the same, and that was okay. love didn’t have to be perfect to be real. what mattered was that phoebe seemed safe, cared for, and happy.

mrs. jeon sighed. “it’ll be your turn before we know it. such a treasure won’t stay hidden forever.”

your mother’s smile turned wistful, a little fragile. “oh goodness don’t remind me! i’m not ready to have my only baby taken away by some… some stranger.”

you giggled. “mama, i’m not going anywhere, anytime soon. this village, this house, you… this is my heart, and i plan on sticking here, bothering you, for a very, very long time!”

mrs. jeon’s eyes twinkled. “what a die-for daughter-in-law, then.” she took a sip of her tea, and then her expression shifted, brightening with a sudden, proud remembrance. “speaking of which! my jungkook is coming home for the holidays! he confirmed last week.”

something stiffened inside of you at the mention of the name. you blinked, your smile faltering just slightly before you caught yourself.

jungkook. the boy with the bunny-like features that were a complete lie, because there had been nothing soft or cute about him. he was coming back here? to spend the holidays?

a vivid memory flashed in your mind; the two of you, maybe twelve and fifteen, on your front steps. you’d been sketching the old oak tree, he’d snatched your pencil, his grin wide, and before you could grab it back, he’d added a ridiculous squirrel with bulging eyes to the corner of your beautiful paper.

jeon jungkook had left a decade ago, following mr. jeon to the city for a new job, and your primary emotion had been relief. while the other girls in the village had cried and whined over his departure, you had simply been glad to see the annoying boy who seemed to exist only to get under your skin, leave you in peace.

you were never a person who held grudges. you believed in forgiveness, in the inherent goodness of people. but jungkook… jungkook had felt like a personal challenge to that belief. and now he was returning.

your mother perked up immediately, clapping her hands together. “little jungkook! oh hae-un, that’s wonderful! it’s been an age. he must be so grown now.”

“grown and too stuck on city life with his father,” mrs. jeon said, though her pride was evident beneath the gentle scold. “that boy… he rarely answers my calls. too busy with his gym and his motorbike friends, i suppose. needs a little lesson in remembering his roots.”

your mother laughed, reaching over to pat her friend’s hand. “he’s a man now, hae-un. let him live his life. he’ll find his way back to what matters in his own time.”

mrs. jeon sighed, a mother’s eternal sigh. “i know, i know. but he’s still my baby. i just want to feed him properly and see his face.”

you kept your eyes on your plate, carefully cutting another piece of pancake, trying to will the strange tightness in your chest away. it was silly. he was just a boy from your past, now a man you didn’t know. there was no reason for this odd sense of foreboding.

just then, your mom’s warm voice cuts gently through your thoughts. “honey, would you be a dear and run to the market for me? we’re running low on fruits, and i need some more vegetables for the stew tonight.”

you lifted your head, your sunny smile effortlessly returning. “of course, mama.”

she smiled, wiping her hands on a towel. “there’s a list on the fridge door,” she added. “take your time and enjoy the air. it’s a beautiful morning!”

you nodded, rising and taking your plate to the sink. as you passed the fridge, you pulled the small notepad free. apples, pears, sweet potatoes, carrots, ginger, a large pumpkin if they look good, and… beets? the last item had a question mark, as if she’d been debating.

you tucked the list into the pocket of your skirt. the mention of jungkook felt like a dark cloud momentarily passing over your sunlit morning, but you were determined not to let it linger. you had a beautiful village to walk through and warm greetings to exchange. the past, and a boy who belonged to it, could wait.

. . .

the market had been busy; quiet chatter, soft laughter, the scrape of crates being dragged. you took your time, like you always did. you stopped at each stall, greeting people by name, listening when they talked a little longer than necessary.

mr. sakamoto insisted you take the pumpkin closest to the front, knocking on it twice and declaring it “a good one” before you could even ask. mrs. lee slipped an extra pear into your bag when she thought you weren’t looking, but you did, and you thanked her anyway. you’d also helped little annette, the florist’s daughter, re-tie her apron, her small fingers fumbling with the strings. by the time you left, both cloth bags were heavy in your hands; apples, carrots, sweet potatoes, ginger, and a huge pumpkin tucked awkwardly under your arm.

the road home was calm. the air was cold but fresh, the kind that made your cheeks sting just a little. you hummed under your breath, not even realizing you were doing it, stepping carefully over damp patches where the rain hadn’t quite dried yet.

you were halfway down the lane when the sound hit. an engine, loud, sudden, completely wrong and unusual for a place like this.

you turned just as a motorcycle came into view, moving fast, far too fast. your stomach dropped. there wasn’t enough time to react properly, only enough to freeze.

the bike swerved sharply at the last second, tires skidding over loose gravel as the rider slammed on the brakes. it stopped only a few feet ahead of you. the shock knocked you backward.

your foot caught on a stone and you went down hard, landing on the damp ground with a breathless gasp. the bags slipped from your hands. fruit rolled everywhere. apples bounced into the ditch, carrots scattered, and the pumpkin hit the ground splitting open.

for a moment, you just sat there, stunned, your chest tight as you tried to breathe properly again. your palms stung. cold soaked through your skirt.

“are you fucking serious?” a voice snapped. “what the hell were you doing standing in the middle of the road like that?”

black boots came into your line of sight. big heavy ones. you slowly looked up.

the man towering over you was nothing like anyone from the village; leather jacket, black jeans, a white tank stretched over broad shoulders, tattoos crept down his arms and across his hands. he pulled his helmet off with a sharp movement, clearly irritated, running a hand through his hair.

your eyes finally reached his face, and your breath hitched for a whole new reason.

he was still cursing under his breath, his glare fierce. “do you fucking hear me, or what? you just–”

his words cut off sharply. he stopped in his tracks, his imposing figure going completely still. his furious gaze snapped back to your face, really seeing you for the first time.

his expression shifted, like something had slammed into him headfirst. a low mutter escaped him, more to himself than to you. “…little bear?”

your body stiffened immediately. that nickname.

you knew it before your mind fully caught up. you looked at him properly now, really looked. the familiar eyes hit you first. dark, wide, unmistakable doe eyes. everything else had changed. he was taller, broader, and more buff somehow. piercings glinted under the pale sunlight. he looked like someone who didn’t belong here anymore.

jungkook.

it was really him. jeon jungkook. the bane of your childhood. the boy you’d danced with joy to see leave.

you swallowed, pushing yourself up off the ground, brushing dirt from your skirt with quick, embarrassed movements. “mrs. jeon didn’t tell us he was coming today,” you muttered to yourself, more annoyed than surprised.

he just stared at you, disbelief giving way to something far more unsettling. he’d always known you were a pretty girl. hell, you’d been the prettiest thing in his shitty little world back then. but now? fuck, you’d grown into something that made his mouth go completely dry.

a smirk, lazy and confident, began to play at the corner of his mouth, changing his face from intimidating to dangerously appealing.

“well, well,” he drawled, his voice dropping an octave deeper, into something more teasing. “little bear. seems like you fell for me already? damn, could’ve just said hello.”

heat flooded your cheeks as you completely ignored him and turned with a soft ‘oof’ to the mess on the ground. “awee, no…” you sighed, the sound soft and genuinely disappointed, crouching down to salvage what you could. you wiped dirt off an apple, checking it carefully before setting it aside.

jungkook just watched you, the smirk now fully formed. fuck. fuck. fuck. you were the most adorable thing he’d ever seen. you hadn’t changed one bit in the way you dealt with him; ignoring the main point (him), muttering about minor details, that adorable pout. it sent a ridiculous, warm thrill through his cold veins.

after a moment, he crouched too, picking up a pear. his large hands looked completely wrong doing something so gentle.

“what?” he finally said, his voice a low rumble. “you’re just gonna ignore me now? after ten years, little bear? not even a little happy to see me?” the old nickname slipped out again, laced with a mocking charm he’d perfected on a hundred other women. it never failed to get a reaction.

and yet, you ignored him. you simply finished gathering the last carrot, stood up, and held out your now-half-full bag. you reached for the bag he’d been filling.

“give me the bag, please,” you said, your voice soft, the utter opposite of him. it was even softer than he remembered, and it did something strange to his insides.

he straightened to his full height, holding the bag just out of your reach. he shrugged. “nah. how about a welcome hug first? for old time’s sake, or a kiss. i don’t mind which.” he tilted his head, the smirk turning wicked, his eyes blatantly dropping to your lips for a heartbeat.

you looked up at him, truly stunned. your eyes widened, your soft frown deepening. he’d grown bolder. more arrogant. you finally addressed him directly, your tone firmer, though it still lacked any real sharpness. “jungkook. give me my bag. now.”

“fuck,” he breathed out, not at your demand, but at the sound of his name on your tongue. it was both a prayer and a curse. he shook his head slowly, the smirk never wavering. “that’s all i get? ‘give me my bag’ ? you didn’t miss me? too bad.” he tsked, playing with the bag’s handle. “and here i was so excited to see you, hm?”

your patience, which turned thin by the fall, the mess, and his overwhelming presence, finally snapped. a soft, frustrated groan escaped you, louder than your usual murmurs. “it’s cold,” you stated. “and i need to get home now. give it!” you extended your hand again, stamping one foot lightly on the gravel. the gesture was so childishly impatient, so utterly you, that it stunned him for a second. “you and your stupid, scary bike are already the reason all my fruits are ruined and my pumpkin is… is dead! and now you want to keep them hostage? just give them back!”

he looked at you, utterly amused. your little show of temper was better than any city nightclub, any bar fight. the way your nose scrunched, the way your wide eyes flashed, it was a fire he hadn’t known you could still spark. he wanted to poke it, to see how bright it could burn.

he cocked his head, his expression one of feigned innocence. “hostage? that’s a bit dramatic, little bear. see, from where i was riding, it looked an awful lot like you were walking in the middle of the lane without looking around you.” he said, then added with an amused smirk. “so whose fault is it, really? mine? or yours?” he took a step closer, invading your space, the scent of leather, and something uniquely, dangerously male enveloping you.

you huffed, an exasperated sound that made his smirk widen. you’d had enough. of him, of his bike, of his smirk, of the way his presence made you feel claustrophobic.

“you can do whatever you want,” you said, your voice tight. and with that, you turned on your heel, clutching your single bag to your chest, and began to march down the lane towards home, your steps quick.

jungkook watched you go, a slow, genuine laugh shaking his shoulders. he shook his head, a strange, unfamiliar feeling stirring in his chest, something far more interesting than irritation or lust.

he didn’t call after you. instead, he walked back to his monstrous motorcycle, swung a leg over it, and settled your bag of fruits securely in front of him. he turned the key, and the engine roared back to life, that same terrifying sound that had started it all. but this time, he didn’t speed off.

he rolled forward at a walking pace behind your rapidly retreating form. he didn’t try to pull alongside you; he just followed, making sure you knew he was there, that he was watching, and that he had no intention of letting you (or your groceries) disappear so easily. but most importantly, he was finally home.

. . .

the sound of the motorcycle stayed behind you longer than it should have.

even after you turned onto the familiar path leading home, the engine was still there. you didn’t look back. you kept walking, eyes fixed ahead. the familiar roof of your house came into view through the bare branches, and you focused on that instead of the noise following you like it had a right to.

the cold air bit at your cheeks, your fingers stiff around the grocery bag. you told yourself not to react. don’t give him the satisfaction.

you reached the small white gate and fumbled with the latch, irritation making your movements clumsy. you pushed through, and grabbed the front door handle just as the engine shut off behind you.

you stepped inside and closed the door firmly, exhaling as warmth wrapped around you. you could already smell something sweet baking in the kitchen. voices drifted from the living room.

you were halfway through pulling off your boots when the door opened again.

jungkook stepped inside, grocery bag in hand, shutting the door behind him with quiet confidence. you froze.

for a moment, he just stood there, taking in the entryway. the walls hadn’t changed. the small table by the door was still there. he glanced around once, then looked at you.

from the living room, your mother’s warm and curious voice floated. “sweetheart, is that you? that was quick!” she appeared, wiping her hands on a checkered apron, her smile fading into pleasant confusion as she saw you once half full bag. “oh! where are all the–?”

“got them,” jungkook said easily as he stepped forward and stood beside you.

your mother’s eyes widened, her hand flying to her chest. “jungkook? little jungkook? is that really you?”

mrs. jeon sprang up with a speed that belied her years, her face a storm of emotions, shock, joy and maternal fury. “jungkook! my son!” she rushed across the room, not for a hug, but to swat at his arm. “you! you said you’d call when you reached the town! do you know how worried i’ve been? riding that death machine in this cold! and you walk in here like a… a gangster!”

jungkook, looked momentarily chastised, a faint pink covering the tip of his ears. he gently set the bag down by the umbrella stand and endured his mother’s fluttering, scolding hands. “ma, i’m fine. the bike’s fine too. stop.” he submitted to her pulling him down for a tearful, tight hug, his own arms coming around her stiffly, his eyes squeezed shut for a second in a mix of affection and profound embarrassment at being dressed down in front of you and your mother.

“look at you,” your mother breathed, her initial surprise melting into delight. she came closer, her eyes misty. “little jungkook, all grown up. so tall! so handsome!” she reached out and pinched his cheek, and you saw his jaw tighten, a grunt of tolerance escaping him.

“hey, aunt elisa,” he said, his voice a rough scrape of politeness. he extracted himself from his mother’s grasp, giving a short nod. his posture was stiff with tension, shoulders tight under the leather, clearly uncomfortable with the emotional display. this was the grumpy prick who hated small talk and familial doting.

but his eyes, those beautiful doe-like eyes, weren’t on the two women surrouding him. they instead found you, standing by the stairs, watching the spectacle. his gaze was sweeping from where your long skirt ends up to your flustered face, and a corner of his mouth twitched.

mrs. jeon held him at arm’s length, her critical mother’s eye analysing every change. her focus lingered on the silver glint at his eyebrow, lips and the stud in his ear. “and what is this?” she gasped, poking a finger near his eyebrow. “you are putting holes in your face? trying to ruin god’s good work? aish, this city life!”

your mother chuckled, waving a dismissive hand. “oh, hae-un, leave the boy be. he looks very modern. very charming! it’s what all the young people do nowadays.” she winked at jungkook, who looked like he’d rather be anywhere else.

jungkook’s mind drifted to the sprawling ink that covered half his torso and down his arm. damn. if she’s having a meltdown over a couple of piercings, she’s gonna have a coronary when she sees the new tattoos. he shoved the thought away.

“it’s just metal, ma,” he muttered, shifting his weight. “forget it.”

“forget it? how can i ‘forget’ when my son’s looking like a street thug?”

“he looks strong and stylish!” your mother countered loyally, beaming. “you should be proud he turned out so striking!”

the two mothers launched into a familiar, loving debate, their voices layering over each other, scolding and defending, a duet of care and exasperation. jungkook used the distraction as his exit. his eyes never left you as he took a few deliberate steps towards the kitchen.

your mother, mid-sentence, noticed your stillness. “darling, be a sweetheart and put the kettle on, will you? jungkook must be frozen through. we’ll have some tea!”

flustered, you nodded, grateful for a task before you slipped into the kitchen. you filled the old copper kettle at the sink, your hands trembling slightly. you were so focused on calming your own chaotic heartbeat that you didn’t hear his approach.

you only felt the shift in the air, the subtle heat from the door being blocked, the alarming sense of his presence. you turned.

he was leaning against the doorframe, one shoulder propped against the wood, his arms crossed over his broad chest. he completely filled the space, his body stood like a barrier between you and the cheerful chatter in the living room. he was studying you carefully, the way your sweater sleeves were pushed up your forearms, the nervous flutter of your fingers, the way you worried your bottom lip between your teeth.

a slow, utterly shameless smirk spread across his face at the sight.

you quickly turned back to the stove, fumbling with the knobs. the silence between you was thick.

“still jumpy around me, little bear?”

you stiffened, your back to him. you could feel his intense gaze on you.

“or is it just my general effect on women?” he continued, his tone dripping with a lazy, arrogant amusement. “can’t decide if you want to run or throw something at me. that’s cute.”

you spun around, the tea towel in your hands clenched into a soft ball. “i am not ‘jumpy’,” you hissed, keeping your voice low to match his. “i am trying to make tea because my mother asked me to. and you are blocking the doorway.”

he didn’t move. his smirk only deepened, his eyes crinkling at the corners. he looked you up and down, that alone made heat bloom under your skin. “yeah, i am. problem?” he uncrossed his arms, planting his palms on either side of the doorframe, caging you in even more effectively. “ten years and you still get that little wrinkle right here,” he murmured, nodding toward the space between your brows. “when you’re annoyed with me. some things never change.”

“some things do,” you retorted, lifting your chin, refusing to be cowed. “most people learn to knock before entering someone’s home.”

a dark chuckle escaped him. “well, it’s my second home. always was.” his gaze softened for a fraction of a second, before it was shuttered away. “besides, i was carrying your groceries. you’re welcome, by the way.”

“you were the reason they were on the ground in the first place!”

“debatable.”

the whistle of the kettle screamed to life behind you. you jumped, and his smirk returned in full force.

jumpy.

you turned off the stove with more force than necessary. “the tea is ready,” you announced, your voice politely cold. “if you would please move.”

he held your gaze for a long minute and with a slight tilt of his head, he pushed off the doorframe. he didn’t move aside to let you pass. instead, he turned and walked back toward the living room, throwing one last comment over his shoulder, his voice a low promise that made your stomach twist.

“this is gonna be a fun holiday, little bear.”

. . .

the café was the kind of place where everything felt at peace. the smell of fresh croissants filled the space, mixed with a faint hint of paint from the small art corner. you sat at your usual table near the bay window, where the afternoon light came in just right, a small canvas set up on its easel in front of you.

you were painting the chrysanthemums in a jar on the counter.

across from you, mandy was halfway through a slice of mille-feuille, clearly enjoying herself. flakes of pastry clung to her sweater, and a bit of cream lingered at the corner of her mouth. still, her attention wasn’t on the dessert. her eyes kept drifting around the café, which was more crowded than usual for a saturday afternoon.

“okay, don’t look now,” she whispered, leaning so far forward she almost knocked over your water cup. “but jessica kim just walked in. and i swear to you, she is wearing false eyelashes. to get a damn latte. jessica, who considers tinted lip balm as ‘too bold.’ ”

you didn’t glance up, focusing on mixing a shade of burnt umber on your palette. “maybe she has a… date later?” you offered, your voice soft, trying to cling to giving everyone the benefit of the doubt.

mandy snorted, almost un-ladylike. “a date with her own reflection in the window of jeon’s house maybe.” she took another huge bite, talking around it. “it’s not just her. i passed by the hairdresser’s on the way here, it was fully booked. mrs. martinez said she’s done three ‘last minute emergencies’ since noon. for what? brave the november drizzle? please.”

you sighed, as you dipped your brush, but your strokes were slower now. the village had a quiet familiar rhythm you understood deeply. but now it was moving with a strange energy that you couldn’t shake off.

“and janette at the flower shop, told me she delivered flowers to mrs. jeon’s house this morning,” mandy continued, her voice dropping to a scandalized whisper. “very early, and apparently mrs. jeon’s son answered the door shirtless. she’s still not over it by the way.” mandy fanned herself dramatically with a napkin. “the drama! i haven’t seen this much of it ever since mr. johnson cheated on his 6 month pregnant wife with that twenty-something waitress.”

you finally looked up from your canvas, your brow creasing. “that’s a bit… much, don’t you think? he’s just a boy.” your words were naive, and you knew it the moment they left your lips.

mandy paused, her fork hovering mid-air. she looked at you with a mixture of fondness and exasperation. “sweetie, honey, light of my life. he is not ‘just a boy’ he’s a walking, talking, motorcycle riding monument to sinful city dreams. he left here a cute, troublesome bunny-boy and came back looking like… well, like that.” she gestured vaguely. “i heard the lee sisters whispering by the bread stand. they said he looks like the kind of man who’d ruin you for all other men, and you’d thank him for the privilege while he walked away without a backward glance.”

a strange drop of something unpleasant settled in your stomach. you didn’t like that description. it felt cheap and dismissive. it reduced the infuriating boy you remembered, and the even more infuriating man he’d become, to a villain from one of amanda’s city-girl romance novels. “that’s a horrible thing to say about someone,” you murmured, your hand tightening on your brush.

mandy shook her head, a soft, knowing smile on her lips. she reached over and patted your hand, her gesture leaving a tiny smudge of sugar on your skin. “you sweet, summer child. you wouldn’t understand. your idea of a dangerous man is mr. henderson when he’s had one too many at the harvest festival and tries to waltz with the prize pumpkin.”

you huffed, a puff of air that stirred your bangs. “he’s not all of that,” you muttered, more to the painting than to mandy. “he’s just… jungkook. but worse.”

mandy’s eyes lit up as she put her fork down. “ah ha! there it is. i was wondering when we’d get to the real tea, spill. you’ve been painting like you’re trying to murder those innocent flowers.”

you sighted before you told her about the terrifying roar of his bike, the spilled groceries, the humiliating fall. you described his towering presence, the mocking ‘little bear,’ the way he’d followed you home like a dark cloud. “and he just walked in, mandy! didn’t even knock! he stood in our kitchen doorway, with that… that smirk on his face. like he owned– ” you cut yourself off, your cheeks flushing. “he’s so arrogant. it’s doubled since we were kids. he’s like a giant, tattooed mosquito, and i’m the only one he wants to bother.”

mandy listened, her chin propped in her hand. as you finished, a slow, cheshire-cat grin spread across her face. she sucked a bit of cream from her thumb, her gaze shrewd.

“so…” she drawled, drawing the word out. “let me get this straight. he nearly scares you half to death, helps pick up your groceries, carries your bag, walks into your house without hesitation, and spends the whole time his mom’s crying over him staring at you, specifically teasing you.” she leaned in, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. “he’s still an annoying prick. but he’s your annoying prick, hm? interesting.”

you blinked. “what? no! mandy, he’s not ‘my’ anything! he was probably doing all that to figure out new ways to irritate me, that’s what he has been doing ever since we were kids.”

“or,” mandy said, her tone playful, “he was a stupid, hormone-addled boy who had a crush on the sweetest girl in town and his only way of dealing with it was to pull her pigtails and ruin her drawings.”

you shook your head, sending your hair swinging. “no mandy, that’s a children’s story. this is a grown man. a grown man who looks like he… like he…” you struggled for the right phrase, “he looks like a walking red flag. you know, the kind amanda warns us about.” the words felt foreign and a little too harsh in your mouth, but they fit the image of the man who’d winked at you and demanded a welcome kiss. a kiss??!

mandy’s grin didn’t falter. “oh, he’s absolutely a red flag from what i’ve heard. i don’t doubt that for a second.” she picked up her fork again, twirling it. “but here’s the thing about flags, sunshine. they only warn you about the danger. they don’t stop you from walking right into the bullring.” she took a final, satisfied bite. “and from what you’ve told me, that bull only has eyes for one particular little matador. everyone else just gets the snort and the dust.”

you didn’t like the way that landed. you glanced back at your painting, the colors had muddied, the petals ended up sharper than you intended. it reflected exactly how you felt; unsettled and totally thrown off balance.

you cleaned your brush slowly, watching the paint swirl away. jungkook being back wasn’t just inconvenient. it felt like something had been disrupted, and whether you liked it or not, you were right in the middle of it.

. . .

the morning air was cold enough to sting your cheeks as you stepped outside. you pulled your thickest wool cardigan tighter around yourself, and tucked the basket of chicken feed under your arm. rocky trotted at your heels, tail wagging, his breath puffing faintly in the air.

beautiful late novembre morning.

or it was, until you stepped into the small, fenced garden beside your house.

you heard it before you saw anything. the steady clink of metal, followed by low voices. you scattered grain for the hens and glanced past your fence, toward the jeon’s house.

jungkook was in the driveway.

he was bent over his motorcycle. he wore worn jeans and a black tank top, nothing heavy enough for the cold, but he didn’t seem bothered by it. his shoulders and arms flexed as he tightened something with a ratchet, tattoos fully visible now that his jacket was gone. his hair fell into his eyes as he worked, focused, completely at ease in a place he hadn’t lived in for years.

of course, you thought, a flush of heat creeping up your neck that had nothing to do with the cold. of course this is what you see first thing in the morning. you tried to look away, to focus on little nino pecking diligently at your feet, but your eyes were your biggest traitors.

a giggle, high and affected, sliced through the quiet from down the lane. you turned your head slightly. there, gathered near the old stone well about fifty yards away, were the lee sisters, and emily from the bakery. they were huddled together, clutching paper coffee cups, but their bodies were angled unmistakably towards the jeon’s driveway. they weren’t even pretending to look at each other. one of the twin sisters was whispering behind her hand, her eyes wide, while her twin had a gloved hand pressed to her cheek, fanning herself dramatically despite the cold weather. emily was openly staring, her mouth slightly agape.

the whole thing made your stomach twist. it was embarrassing, to him for providing it, them for gawking, and yourself for standing there pretending not to notice while noticing everything.

with an irritated huff, you dumped the rest of the feed into the trough and turned back toward the house. rocky barked once in confusion, then followed you inside.

jungkook’s hands stilled on the bike’s engine. without lifting his head, his eyes, which had been fixed on a carburetor, flicked upward, following your retreating body. he’d clocked you the second you stepped outside. he’d felt your movement; the way you’d stopped once you noticed his presence, your reluctant glances. a faint, knowing smirk tugged at the corner of his lips, unseen by the giggling girls down the lane. he’d made you look. even when you wished you hadn’t. he wiped his hands slowly on a rag, before returning to his work, unbothered.

the days that followed only got worse.

jungkook became the village’s main topic of conversation without ever trying to be. people followed his appearances like news.

at the market, he stood out immediately; taller than most, darker clothes, sharp presence. mrs. lee insisted on giving him fruit, fussing over how thin he looked. he accepted it with a short nod and a rough thanks, then gave an illusion of a smile just enough to leave her flustered.

at the pub, he kept to himself, nursing a drink in the corner. the men stayed away. the women, on the other hand, didn’t. janette from the flower shop found excuses to stop by. jessica kim laughed too loudly whenever she passed his table. he never encouraged them, never fully shut them down either. he stayed detached, amused at best, distant at worst.

and somehow, he was always where you were.

at the post office, you’d be filling out a shipping label when the doorbell rang behind you. you’d feel him being too close, standing right at your back.

“little bear,” he’d say quietly. “sending love letters to your city boyfriend?”

you’d ignore him, focusing intently on your task.

he’d lean in, his breath stirring the hair near your ear. “bet they’re not as good as the ones you used to write me. what was it? ‘dear stupid jungkook, you are a toad. give me my pencil back.’ hm?”

a hot flush would crawl up your neck. “i was twelve,” you’d mutter through clenched teeth.

“and i was fifteen,” he’d counter, as if that explained everything. then he’d reach around you, his tattooed arm brushing yours, to grab a blank customs form he didn’t even need before walking away, leaving you flustered and the postmistress fanning herself.

at the market, you’d carefully pick apples, placing them one by one into your basket, only for his hand to slip in front of yours and grab the shiniest red delicious one you’d just chosen.

“hey!” you’d protest, turning to find him already taking a loud, crisp bite of the stolen fruit. juice gleamed on his lower lip.

he’d chew slowly, his eyes locked on yours, a challenge in their dark depths. “what? it looked good.” he’d take another bite. “tastes good, too. so sweet.” the way he said it made it sound like he wasn’t talking about the apple.

“that’s stealing,” you’d say, trying for stern but your voice coming out breathless.

he’d shrug. “put it on my tab.” he’d finish the apple in two more bites and toss the core perfectly into a trash bin several feet away. “see you around, little bear.”

the most infuriating encounter was at the library. you were in the quiet kids section, reaching for a french book about fairytales on a high shelf. you were on your tiptoes, fingertips brushing the edges.

“need a hand, short stuff?”

you yelped, stumbling back, only to be steadied by two large hands on your shoulders. he was right behind you, having moved with a practiced silence. he didn’t let go. he simply reached up, easily retrieved the book, and handed it to you, his body caging you against the bookshelf.

“you’re… you’re in a library,” you whispered, aware of the silence, of the librarian watching with owl eyes from her desk.

“noticed,” he murmured, he wasn’t looking at the book. he was looking at your face, his gaze dropping to your lips, then back to your eyes. “came in for a good nap, but found something better.” he leaned a fraction closer. “you know, for a teacher, you ask a lot of pointless questions. like ‘what are you doing here?’ seems pretty obvious.”

his proximity was overwhelming. “it’s not obvious,” you managed.

“it is to me.” he finally released your shoulders, taking a half-step back that felt no less invasive. he took the book from your soft grasp, glanced at the title, and snorted. “figures.” he handed it back. “still living in fairy tales.” he turned and walked away, the sound of his boots on the woody floor echoing in the hushed room.

it kept happening. everywhere. the park, the bakery, even outside the school where you taught. always close enough to unsettle you, always just teasing enough to make it worse.  and the worst part was the sick, thrill that shot through you every time you heard that low voice say “little bear,” a thrill you refused to acknowledge, buried under irritation and annoyance. jungkook was a problem with a leather jacket and a motorcycle, and he wasn’t just disrupting the peaceful rhythm of your village, he was disrupting you. and you had no idea how to make it stop.

. . .

the walk home from the schoolhouse always put you in a good mood. you found yourself smiling for no real reason, your steps light as you followed the familiar path leading to your home. class had gone well, even more wonderful than usual. little mathew, had finally, perfectly pronounced “merci beaucoup” after weeks of struggling with his ‘r’ sounds, and the whole room had erupted when he got it right. you kept replaying his proud grin in your head, along with the small, crumpled hand written “merci, mademoiselle!” card now tucked safely in your bag.

you opened the front door. “mama, i’m home!” you called, slipping off your boots.

your mother stood by the fireplace, not in her usual comfortable house clothes, but in her favorite floral-print dress, the one she reserved for special visits. a soft cardigan was draped over her shoulders. the air was fragrant with the sweet scent of vanilla and butter.

“there’s my sunshine!” she beamed, her face crinkling into a smile that mirrored your own. she came over, cupping your cold cheeks in her warm hands. “look at you, glowing. the children were good today?”

“the best,” you sighed happily, leaning into her touch. “mathew said the whole phrase! and amirah wrote a little poem. it was wonderful.” you sniffed the air dramatically. “is that your honey butter cake? it smells like heaven.”

“it is,” she said, brushing a strand of hair from your forehead with tender care. “and it just came out of the oven to cool. i was thinking… it’s been a few days. we should take a slice over to hae-un. the poor thing must be exhausted from fussing over jungkook. she could use some company and a sweet treat.”

the warmth in your chest dimmed immediately. go to the jeon’s house, now. your first instinct was to say no. to claim you were tired, busy, anything.

but then you looked at your mother’s face, she meant well. mrs. jeon had always been family in everything but name, she was like a second mother to you. you’d spent countless afternoons in her house. to refuse now, to let your silly, personal discomfort with jungkook ruin this… it felt horribly wrong, selfish.

the conflict must have shown on your face for a fleeting second, because your mother’s smile softened. “what is it, darling? did you have other plans?”

“no, no plans,” you said quickly, your voice a little too bright. you forced your own smile back, pushing the unease down where it couldn’t spoil the sweetness of the day. “that’s a wonderful idea, mama. auntie hae-un loves your cake. let me just put my bag away.”

the jeon’s house looked the same but felt slightly different. the blue door, the familiar smell of tea, the furniture you’d grown up around. but now there were signs of jungkook everywhere. his helmet by the door, a leather jacket tossed over the couch.

“elisa! aigoo, and my sweet girl!” mrs. jeon enveloped you both in a warm hug. she held you at arm’s length, her eyes misty. “you brought light with you. this old house has been too dark and loud lately.” she ushered you into the living room, fussing over the cake, exclaiming over its beauty.

your mother laughed as they settled in. “and where is the cause of all that noise?” she asked, her tone gently teasing. “is our city boy hiding?”

you busied yourself with accepting a cup of tea, focusing intently on the steam rising from the mug.

mrs. jeon waved a hand, a mixture of pride and exasperation on her face. “bah. that boy! he said the quiet was driving him crazy so he went out for a ride on that metal beast of his.” but her affection was clear.

relief loosened something tight in your chest. he wasn’t here. you could finally relax. you could actually enjoy this visit. you took a sip of tea, the familiar comfort of the two mothers’ chatter beginning to soothe your nerves. they fell into their easy conversation, talking about the upcoming winter festival, the cake recipe, you mom’s new knitting project.

then, mrs. jeon glanced out the window at the grey, woolen sky. “oh, dear god. i just remembered. i left the last of the laundry on the line. jungkook’s things from this morning. if it snows tonight, they’ll be frozen stiff.”

without a second thought, you set your cup down. “i’ll get it, auntie. it’ll only take a moment.” it was a reflex, as natural as breathing.

both women turned their warm, approving gazes on you. “ah, you angel,” mrs. jeon sighed, patting your hand. “what would we do without you?”

your mother beamed, pride shining in her eyes. “my thoughtful baby.”

outside, the air was colder than before. you worked quickly, folding towels and sheets. then you picked up an unfamiliar grey cotton t-shirt, the fabric thin from many washes. it smelled faintly of detergent and something else, something unmistakably male, a clean, musky scent that was all jungkook. a flush crept up your neck. finally, your fingers brushed against black cotton boxer briefs. you snatched your hand back as if burned, a hot wave of embarrassment and annoyance crashing over you. this was so… intimate. so wrong. he felt like an intruder to your peace, and now you were handling his underwear.

gritting your teeth, you grabbed the last item with two fingers, hastily adding it to the pile in your arms, wanting nothing more than to be rid of it all.

that was when you heard the motorcycle approaching fast from the main road. you froze, then edged toward the corner of the house without meaning to as the bike pulled into the driveway.

there he was, jungkook, swinging off the bike, removing his helmet. but he wasn’t alone.

a woman followed from behind him. you could only see her back; a sleek, dark ponytail, a wool coat and heeled boots that were utterly impractical for the village lanes. she let out a bright, tinkling laugh as she reached out, placing a hand on his leather-clad arm. she said something you couldn’t hear, leaning into his space.

you could only see jungkook’s side profile. he wasn’t smirking. he looked… relaxed. he gave a short nod in response to whatever she said.

something twisted sharply in your chest.

it didn’t make any sense, why were you feeling like this? he wasn’t yours. you knew exactly what kind of man he was and you hated him anyway, didn’t you? but the feeling still hit, sudden and unpleasant. you’d just been handling his laundry, and he’d just been off with her.

you didn’t watch any longer. clutching the laundry, you turned and went back inside, closing the door quietly behind you. the cake, the tea, the warmth inside the house all felt kind of distant now.

and no matter how hard you told yourself it shouldn’t matter, it still, somehow, did..?

. . .

the cold hit hard as soon as he reached the higher road. it burned his lungs and cut straight through his jacket. this was the only place his head ever really cleared. no noise, no people, just the road and what came next.

fuck, he missed the city. everything about it. his gym, he’d left it with jimin, the only fucker he trusted not to run it into the ground or sell the equipment for coke money. he missed the club nights too, the bass, the easy, nameless women who wanted nothing but a good fuck and understood the rules; no strings attached, no questions, no next morning breakfast bullshit.

here, everything felt watched. his mother noticed everything.heck he’d kill for a smoke. a cigarette would be a minor miracle, he’d have to ride halfway to the next province to get one. his mother would smell it on him from a mile away, have a full-blown heart attack, complete with clutching her chest and calling all her ancestors. it wasn’t worth the fucking lecture.

the bike ate up the empty road, carrying him aimlessly. his thoughts, however, kept circling back to the same person. you.

he slowed as he passed the village school just as the final bell rang. the bike idled quietly as he watched from across the road.

there you were. wrapped in a soft, cream sweater, and that long yellow skirt that swirled around your ankles. you were kneeling to tie a kid’s shoe, laughing at something a little girl said. you waved as the kids scattered to their parents, your smile so genuine it was almost painful to look at.

fuck. you were a walking, talking ball of sunshine in this grey, suffocating town.

he wanted to go over there. wanted to see that smile disappear and be replaced by that delicious, flustered pout. wanted to hear you huff his name in that soft, annoyed voice. he’d picture that look sometimes, late at night, but in those fantasies, the pout was for other reasons; his mouth on your neck, his hands on your hips, your eyes rolling back not in annoyance, but in pleasure. the thought alone sent a bolt of heat straight to his dick.

he was just about to roll his bike forward, a taunt already forming on his lips, when a voice sliced through the engine’s rumble.

“jungkook? oh my god, jeon jungkook! is that you?”

he turned his head, already irritated. a woman was hurrying toward him, her heels clicking on the pavement. pretty. sleek dark hair in a low ponytail, a coat that looked expensive.

he didn’t know her. or maybe he did. he didn’t care enough to remember anyway.

“hi!” she breathed, stopping too close to the bike, her eyes wide as they drank him in, the bike, the tattoos peeking from his collar, the permanent scowl. “it’s me, cynthia! we were in the same year? well, you were a few years ahead, but still!” she talked fast, her gaze raking over him with open appreciation.

jungkook grunted in response. his eyes didn’t stay on her. they trailed over her shoulder, back to the school steps. where you’d been. you were gone now, leaving him with this chattering stranger.

his attention snapped back to cynta? only because she was still talking. “...and honestly, these boots were a terrible idea,” she was saying with a practiced laugh, lifting a foot clad in a heeled leather boot. “the lanes are so slippery! i feel like i’m going to break my ankle.”

jungkook’s gaze dropped to her feet, then dragged slowly back up her body. yeah, the boots were stupid. who the fuck wore that here unless they were trying to get noticed?

she misinterpreted the look entirely. her smile turned coy, and she took a half-step closer, lowering her voice. “maybe… you could give me a ride? it would be a lifesaver.”

he held back a snort. his eyes drifted once more to the now-empty schoolyard. you were the only reason he was even lingering in this part of the village. the only thing that held any interest in this whole fucking trip. a bleak boredom settled over him. what did it matter?

“get on,” he said, his voice flat. it wasn’t an offer; it was his way of stopping the need for further conversation.

cynthia’s face lit up with victory. she let out a little squeal as she swung a leg over the bike behind him, settling in. immediately, her arms wrapped around his waist, tight. too tight. her hands didn’t stay still; they slid lower, fingers playing at the waistband of his jeans. she pressed her body against his back, and he could feel the soft shape of her breasts through their layers of clothing.

he didn’t shift, didn’t even tell her to back off. he simply kicked the bike back to life, and pointed it toward the only destination that made sense, home.

she held on tightly the whole way, pressing against him, talking into his ear over the engine noise. he barely listened. his mind wasn’t on her.

after some time, he pulled into the driveway and shut the bike off, the sudden silence ringing in his ears. he didn’t move, just waited.

cynthia, laughing breathlessly, as she slid off. “wow, that was… so cool,” she said, smoothing her hair. the laugh was bright, but her eyes were dark with intention as she stepped closer. her hand came up, her fingers tracing the hard curve of his bicep through his jacket in a gesture that was anything but casual.

“you know,” she said, her voice dropping to a low, seductive purr. “i feel like i owe you for the rescue.” her gaze was blatant, hungry. “a girl could think of a few ways to say thank you. just name it.”

the offer hung in the cold air between them. cynthia’s eyes were wide, pupils dilated. it was a look he knew intimately; the sharp, hungry anticipation of a woman who’d already decided how the night would end.

his body recognized the opportunity. muscle memory twitched with the ease of it; a rough grip on her hip, steering her into the garage. the usual rythme of a quick, meaningless fuck against the cold wall, her expensive coat shoved out of the way. or maybe better, just her on her knees right here in the gravel, his hand fisted in that perfect ponytail while he stared blankly at the frost on the kitchen window as she chokes on the length of his cock. it would be fast. efficient. a way to bleed off the restless energy this town coiled inside him. she was clearly down for it. and who was he to deny such an offer?

he’d smirk, say something crude and inviting like, “yeah? how ‘bout you start by getting on your knees, and we’ll see how grateful you are.” because he’d done it before. more times than he could count.

but as the words formed in his throat, they tasted like ash. instead of the familiar heat, a cold wave of… distaste washed over him.

this wasn’t a grimy alley where you could disappear afterward. this was his mother’s driveway. the kitchen light was on; he could see her silhouette moving behind the curtain. a few houses down, old mrs. ahn was probably watching from her parlor window. this was the village square, the same one where he’d get groceries tomorrow, where he’d have to see this stranger again at the market or the winter festival.

he had a fucked-up way to go through life, but one rule was clear: you don’t shit where you eat. and for all his complaints, this was still, technically, where he was from.

hooking up with his hometown girls only meant drama, awkward encounters and potential tears on his mother’s doorstep. it was messy. and the only mess he had any interest in navigating is the one that would involve you.

which is why fucking cyndi (or whatever her name was) would be pointless, ugly, and a pain in the ass to deal with later.

so, the smirk that usually came so easily died before it reached his lips. he looked at her eager face and felt nothing but a profound sense of get the fuck away from me.

he gave a single, slow nod. “nah it’s chill,” he said, his voice flat, like a door slamming shut. he didn’t say thanks or maybe another time nor did he offer a fake smile. he simply turned his back and walked toward the house, leaving her standing in the cold.

. . .

the final bell rang, and one by one your students pulled on their coats and scarves, filing out of the classroom in a rush of chatter and laughter. you waited until the room was empty before erasing the chalkboard, taking your time, enjoying the quiet that always followed a long day. the late afternoon light came in through the windows, making you feel settled. a little tired, but in a good way.

“mademoiselle!”

you turned at the sound of a familiar voice. jayden stood in the doorway, leaning against the frame with an easy smile. he was the elder brother of one of your students, matthew, a man with the gentle manners and kind eyes. you’d known him for over a year now, mostly through chance meetings at the bakery after work. sometimes you shared a croissant and talked about his projects or your lesson plans.

“jayden! hello!” you greeted him, your smile soft and genuine.

“haven’t seen much of you lately,” he said, stepping inside. his presence didn’t feel intrusive, just calm. “everything alright?”

you laughed softly. “yeah, everything’s fine, just a little busy! my mom’s got me helping with baking and knitting. with the winter festival and christmas coming up, our house looks like it’s been taken over.”

he chuckled. “i know the feeling. i’ve been going crazy trying to carve these wooden snowmen for the festival stall. my workshop is knee-deep in wood shavings.”

before you could reply, little matthew came charging back into the room, his blue coat half-zipped and his cheeks pink from the cold.

“jay!” he shouted, running straight into his brother.

jayden scooped him up effortlessly. “hey, buddy. how was school?”

matthew didn’t even pause for breath as he started talking, holding up his hands and counting loudly. “un, deux, trois...”

you watched them with a fond smile. “he’s doing really well,” you said. “he picks things up quickly.”

jayden looked at you as he adjusted his brother on his hip. “that’s because of you.” his tone held a note of something softer, a gentle flirtation that sailed right over your innocent, oblivious head.

you simply beamed, accepting the praise as a compliment to your work. “he makes it easy for me.”

“i’m hungry!” matthew declared.

“dad made your favorite soup,” jayden told him, earning a gleeful “yay!” he then shifted his attention back to you, his voice dropping back to that warm, intentional register. “so, i’ll see you later, maybe? we could grab that snack we’ve been missing.”

“of course!” you agreed readily. “that would be lovely! au revoir, matthew! bon appétit!”

you waved as they left, jayden giving you one last, lingering look. you didn’t think much of it, assuming it was just his usual friendliness.

the walk home was quiet, the air was cold enough to sting your lungs when you breathed in, and the sun was already sinking low behind the trees. you were lost in thoughts, replaying the kids’ proud little faces, when a sudden sound shattered the peace.

you jumped, a small gasp escaping you as a familiar black motorcycle rolled to a stop right in front of you, blocking the narrow lane. your heart hammered against your ribs.

jungkook sat on the bike one foot down, the other resting casually on the peg. he was already smirking, clearly pleased with how much he’d startled you.

“get on,” he said, voice low and steady over the engine. “it’s getting dark. could use a ride, little bear. yeah?” he made it sound like a casual suggestion, but his eyes were anything but casual, they stayed fixed on you, sharp and unreadable.

you looked around the empty lane, then back at him, gathering your composure. you sighed, the sound a soft cloud in the cold air. “no, thank you,” you said politely. “i enjoy walking home.”

his smirk deepened, carving a dimple in his cheek that you refused to find distracting. “enjoy it all you want. but with those little short legs,” his gaze dropped pointedly to your boots, “you won’t make it home ‘til the sun comes up again.”

you looked down at yourself and then back up at him, utterly offended and flustered. “they are not short? they’re… normal.”

he didn’t argue. he just let out a long sigh, the picture of a man burdened by a great duty. “look, your mom asked me to check on you. said you were late. she’s worried sick about her only daughter out here in the dark.” he delivered the lie with perfect sincerity, knowing the exact chord it would strike.

your stomach dropped. “what?”

mama was worried? the guilt hit immediately, washing over you. you shouldn’t have stayed to sketch those frost flowers on the school window pane. you’d caused your mother distress. the thought alone was unbearable.

as jungkook made a show of revving the engine slightly, preparing to leave you to your fate, you panicked. “w- wait!” you called out, your voice soft and laced with concern.

he turned back at you, expression blank. “yeah?”

you looked away, cheeks heating despite the cold, fingers twisting together. “you… you can take me home. i don’t want her to worry.”

the triumph that flashed in his eyes was barely concealed. his smirk threatened to split his face. so fucking adorable with your little pout and worried fingers. wordlessly, he reached behind him, pulling out a second, smaller helmet. he shoved it onto your head. it was heavy, too big, and smelled faintly of him. “get on.”

for a moment, you froze. the reality of the situation crashed into you. you were about to get on a motorcycle. with jungkook. the same motorcycle you’d seen that woman clinging to. a strange, hollow feeling twisted in your stomach.

he noticed your hesitation. “what now?” he grumbled, though his voice was less sharp than usual.

“i don’t… i don’t know how,” you admitted quietly.

fuck. the words, your shy confession, hit him like a physical blow. he wanted to pull you into his arms right then, to feel how you’d fit against his chest. instead, he swung off the bike. “here.”

his hands were surprisingly steady as he guided you, his grip firm on your waist as he helped you swing a leg over the seat. you squeaked, wobbling dangerously, and grabbed into his arms without thinking. he was solid beneath your fingers. he climbed back on, settling in front of you.

“hold on,” he commanded, his voice gruff. “tight.”

“no, thank you,” you whispered, your hands gripping the edge of the seat behind you instead.

he didn’t argue. he just started the bike and eased it forward slightly.

you let out a small, terrified cry and wrapped your arms around his waist, clinging for dear life. you were pressed flush against his leather jacket, helmet knocking gently against his shoulder blade.

“better,” was all he said.

he didn’t take you home. you noticed almost right away that the route was wrong. “jungkook, this isn’t–” you started.

he twisted the throttle. the bike surged forward, speed snapping your breath away. a scream was ripped from your throat, pure instinctive fear. but the fear quickly turned into laughter, breathless and surprised. the wind was sharp, the road rushing beneath you, and the only stable thing was the man you were holding onto. for the first time, you understood why he loved this so much. you understood a piece of him.

when he finally slowed and stopped at the cliff’s edge, your ears were ringing. he helped you off, your legs felt unsteady, and your breath coming in shallow. you pulled the helmet off, your hair a mess, and your cheeks flushed. the soft, breathless sounds of your laughter filled the silent space between you.

jungkook swore his heart stopped. it was the softest, most genuine sound he’d ever heard. and he can’t believe he’d made that sound happen.

below, the village lights glowed, quiet and distant.

“the view’s so beautiful,” you breathed.

“used to come up here when i was a kid,” he said, his voice quieter than you’d ever heard it. “when i needed to get away from everyone.”

the words slipped out before you could stop them. “so, when you weren’t busy bothering me.”

he glanced at you, a flicker of something (amusement maybe?) in his dark eyes. “just to break it to you, you were part of the ‘everyone.’ sometimes even the loudest part.”

“hey!” you protested, turning fully to face him. “i was not loud!”

“you were. always humming, or talking to yourself about your drawings.” he kicked a loose stone with his boot. “drove me crazy.” you drove him crazy for other reasons too but you didn’t need to know.

you hugged yourself against the creeping cold. “well, you drove me crazy, too. always bothering me, pulling my hair.”

“you had those little ribbons,” he said, his smile turning into a faint smirk. “they were just… there. asking to be tugged.”

“they were not!” you insisted, but you were smiling now too, the old grievance feeling strangely fond in the fading light. “everyone had those and you only choose mine to tug!”

“yours were more outstanding,” he shrugged but in reality, his younger self had his eyes only set on you to ever notice the other girls’ ribbons anyway.

you both eventually fell quiet after a while, the easy laughter settling into a comfortable silence. it was a new space between you, one without barbs or tension. you looked back at the view, hugging your arms as a sharp gust of wind cut through your sweater.

he noticed the movement almost immediately. his eyes dropped to your arms, then back to your face. the softness from a second ago vanished, replaced by gruffness. “you’re shivering.”

“it’s getting a little colder.” you admitted.

“yeah. let’s go.” he turned and walked back to the bike, the moment of shared memory officially over. “cmon, before you freeze.”

the ride back was different. it was slower and deliberate. you kept your arms around his middle, and this time you didn’t fight it. it just felt like the right way to stay on. you even let your head rest against the cold leather of his jacket. he didn’t speed up or try to scare you, he just drove ahead carefully.

when he dropped you at your gate, you slid off, feeling strangely unmoored. you handed him the helmet, your fingers brushing slightly. “thank you,” you murmured, not quite meeting his eyes. the experience had thrown you. the annoying boy had shown you something beautiful, shared a piece of his world, and had been… quiet. it was disorienting.

he took the helmet, his eyes scanning your face, lingering on your flushed cheeks and still-bright eyes. but then, the corner of his mouth tugged up into that arrogant smirk you knew too well.

he leaned in just a fraction, his voice a low. “don’t go wandering off alone in the dark again, little bear.” he said, his voice dropping into a teasing drawl. “might start thinking you like my company.”

and just like that, the nice moment was over. you huffed, rolling your eyes. “i don’t need a ride. and i don’t like your company, anyway. you’re annoying.”

he chuckled, a low, knowing sound. his eyes swept over you from head to toe, slow and deliberate, making your face grow warm. “sure you don’t,” he said, his voice full of mocking doubt. he swung his leg over the bike. “keep telling yourself that, little bear.”

and with a loud, unnecessary rev of the engine, he took off down the lane, leaving you standing there.

you stomped your foot in frustration, but you couldn’t stop the small smile that tugged at your lips. he was infuriating. but for a few minutes up on that cliff, he hadn’t been. and that was the part you couldn’t stop thinking about.

. . .

the bakery was packed, especially since it was the day before the winter festival. it was warm, and the air smelled like fresh bread and sugar. you held your number, 42, while mandy tried to see over the crowd.

“we need more red bean buns,” mandy said. “at least ten. my aunts are coming, and trust me when i say they will eat everything.”

you giggled, the sound soft and warm against the bustling noise. “mandy, we already have two bags full. and the ginger cookies your mom made.”

“cookies are for snacks,” mandy said, very seriously. “this is for the festival. it’s different.”

finally, your number was called. you left with your arms full of warm paper bags. the cold outside felt sharp after the bakery’s heat.

“okay, we have the food,” mandy said, adjusting her grip. “now we just need to–”

you weren’t looking, and you walked right into someone coming out of the bakery. you stumbled back, and mandy quickly grabbed your arm to steady you.

“whoa! you okay?” mandy asked.

“i’m so sorry!” you said quickly, trying to balance the bags. “i wasn’t watching where–”

a sharp voice cut you off. “obviously. can’t you look where you’re going?”

your gaze snapped up. standing before you, wrapped in a nice cream coat, was cynthia. when she saw it was you, her face immediately twisted in something like disgust.

“oh,” she said. “it’s you.”

you smiled, happy to see a familiar face. “cynthia! hi! i’m really sorry i was completely distracted.” you let out a soft laugh, gesturing with your chin to the bags. “the smell in there is just… overwhelming.”

cynthia didn’t laugh. she looked you up and down, from your messy braid to your winter boots. “of course you’d get distracted by food,” she said, her voice sweet in a way that didn’t feel nice.

you just nodded. “it does smell amazing in there. anyway, sorry again. your boots are really pretty. are they new?”

mandy made an annoyed sound next to you.

“yeah and you almost stepped on them,” cynthia said coldly. “they’re expensive. you should pay more attention.”

“maybe you should watch where you’re going, too,” mandy snapped.

you gently squeezed mandy’s arm. “it was my fault, mandy.” you looked back at cynthia. “i’m really sorry. they’re lovely boots! i think i have a pair that’s kind of similar.”

cynthia looked at you like you’d said something disgusting. “i doubt that,” she sneered. then she pushed past you and went into the bakery.

you blinked, watching the door swing shut. a faint, confused frown touched your brow.

“what a bitch,” mandy said, her face red. “why did you apologize to her? she was so rude to you!”

you turned to your friend, the frown melting into a look of gentle concern. you placed a calming hand on her arm. “oh, don’t be mad. maybe she’s just stressed? the festival is tomorrow and heard she’s helping with the decorations. that’s a big job!”

mandy just stared at you. “you are too nice. seriously. someone could punch you, and you’d ask if their hand was okay.”

you laughed. “stop, don’t be silly.” you shifted the bags and linked your arm with hers. “come on, we have more important things to do, our dresses! i finished the embroidery. and i found a ribbon for your hair. we should try everything on tonight, tomorrow is going to be so fun.”

as you talked about the festival, you forgot about cynthia’s mean look. you were already thinking about the lights and the music and seeing everyone happy. you always believed people were good, even when they weren’t. and you never held onto bad feelings.

. . .

the hall was in utter chaos. people were moving tables, hanging banners, everyone talking over each other. jungkook carried two heavy boxes of decorations in one hand like they weighed nothing. with his other hand, he scrolled through his phone.

a message from jimin popped up with a blurry photo from a club, the bass probably so loud that jungkook could almost feel it through the screen. missing this yet? the text read.

jungkook scoffed and typed back a quick fuck off before opening another message. it was from a woman whose name he barely remembered, was it lana? kylie? a picture loaded. it was a mirror selfie, taken in what looked like a fancy bathroom. she was wearing a black lace bra and matching panties. one of her breasts were spilling out, her nipple pinched between her thumb and forefinger, it was already hard and perky.

thinking of you… and your big hands on me, the caption said.

he looked at the photo. his eyes moved over the curve of her waist, the swell of her breasts, the arc of her back. it was a nice body, one he’d fucked months ago.

it was supposed to be an invitation, but he supposedly felt nothing.

and just like that he closed the app, shoved the phone in his pocket, and dropped the boxes on the designated table with a loud thud.

“thank you, son!” old mr. henderson said, clapping him on the shoulder. “don’t know what we’d do without those strong arms!”

jungkook just gave a short nod. “need anything else?”

“well,” mr. henderson said, pointing across the room. “the girls are struggling with the lights over the stage. can’t reach. could you lend them a hand?”

jungkook looked over. a small group of familiar women were standing on chairs, trying to untangle a string of lights. as he casually walked toward them, their conversation drifted over.

“...saw it myself,” jessica was saying, voice hushed but excited. “he gave her a ride home last night on his bike. pulled right up to her gate.”

sophia let out a mocking little laugh. “so what? he gave cynthia a ride too the other day. it doesn’t mean anything. he probably just feels sorry for her because their moms are friends.”

another girl chimed in. “right! it’s nothing but a pity ride. he’d never actually look twice at someone like her.”

jessica lowered her voice further. “you know, sometimes i think she’s not even real, all that sweetness, no one is that nice. she’s probably just pretending, thinking it’ll make her seem interesting.”

“totally,” sophia agreed. “it’s so fake. like, just stop trying so hard.”

they were so engrossed in their gossip they didn’t hear him stop right behind them.

“need help with those?” jungkook’s voice was flat.

all four girls jumped, letting out little shrieks. sophia almost fell off her chair. they whirled around, their faces flushing deep red, eyes wide with horror.

“j-jungkook!” jessica stammered, her hand flying to her chest. “we didn’t– you startled us!”

he just looked at them, his face blank. he didn’t look angry or anything, he just seemed… unimpressed. like he’d found something mildly distasteful on his bike’s seat.

“the lights,” he repeated, not acknowledging their panic. “you need them hung?”

“y-yes! please!” sophia said, her voice too high. she quickly scrambled off the chair, nearly tripping.

he didn’t say another word to them. he just took the string of lights from jessica’s trembling hands, easily reached up, and hooked them over the beam in two swift motions. the task that had stumped them for twenty minutes took him less than twenty seconds.

he glanced down at the group of them, who were now huddled together, silent and mortified.

“there,” he simply said. then he turned and walked away, leaving them standing there, the cruel words they’d just spoken hanging in the air around them, feeling uglier and cheaper by the second.

their whispers were still ringing in his ears. fake. pity ride. no one is that nice.

he felt a hot, unfamiliar anger tightening in his chest. it was about you. those girls. he’d seen you with them just earlier, not even an hour ago, laughing like you were all friends. were you seriously that blind? that naive? did you walk through life actually believing everyone had a heart like yours? it made him furious. the world was a selfish, shitty place. he knew that better than anyone. he’d built his whole life around that fact.

but you. you were the only person he’d ever met who was just… genuinely good. it was frustrating. it was infuriating. because you saw the best in everyone. you gave everyone that soft smile, that benefit of the doubt.

everyone except him.

you always looked right at him and saw the worst. you saw the act, the grumpiness, the trouble. and maybe that’s what pissed him off the most. you were kind to the whole damn village, even to snakes like those girls who talked shit about you behind your back, but with him, you were always ready with an eye-roll, a huff, a scowl.

he hated that you were so stupidly trusting of people who didn’t deserve it. and he hated, even more, that you were the only one who ever looked at him and didn’t buy his bullshit for a second.

the music started then, a familiar, cheesy folk song that they played every single year. he hated this song. he hated all these songs actually. he remembered standing at these festivals as a teenager, pretending he didn’t mind the music, leaning against a wall trying to look cool. he’d pretended to like it back then because he’d seen your face light up when the music started. he’d hoped, stupidly, that you might eventually want to dance, but you never did.

he scanned the crowded hall, his eyes looking for you out of reflex. he’d last seen you by the buffet tables, carefully arranging cookies on a platter.

then he spotted you. you weren’t by the food anymore. instead, you were standing near the fireplace, talking to a guy.

jungkook’s gaze sharpened. he knew that guy, he’d seen him sitting at the bar in the village pub a few nights ago, nursing a beer. the guy had been staring at him with a hard, unwelcome glare the whole night. jungkook had noticed but hadn’t cared enough to wonder why. just another local who didn’t like his look.

now, seeing him leaning close to you, it clicked. the guy’s name was jayden, he was pretty sure. and the dirty looks he sent him made perfect sense now. jayden was definitely into you. of course he was, who wouldn’t be? the guy had probably seen him near you, or heard some village gossip, and saw him as competition. he was probably scared he didn’t stand a chance.

watching them now, jungkook felt that thought like a punch. jayden was saying something, his whole body turned toward you like you were the only person in the room. and you… you laughed. you tipped your head back, and your whole face lit up with that smile jungkook hated how much he noticed. that soft, happy laugh of yours floated across the noise of the hall.

a hot, sharp twist pulled tight in jungkook’s chest. he loved that sound, it was the best thing he’d heard in this whole damn town. and it was being pulled out of you by some guy who carved wood for a living and glared at people in bars.

he started moving toward you without thinking, ready to cut in and put an end to whatever was happening.

“jungkook!”

the voice was bright, sharp. it cut through his focus. he stopped in his tracks and turned.

cynthia was practically gliding toward him, a perfect smile on her lips. she was wearing a tight red dress that had no business being at a village winter festival. she stopped so close he could smell her perfume.

“there you are,” she said, her voice sugary. “i’ve been looking for you.” she didn’t wait for a response. “they’re about to start the couples’ snowshoe race. we should partner up. with you strength and my... guidance,” she said, letting the word hang with a little laugh, “we’d win for sure. it’ll be so much fun!”

she reached out and put a hand on his arm, her fingers pressing in. her touch was confident, expecting a ‘yes’.

jungkook looked from her hand on his jacket back to her expectant face. then his eyes flickered over her shoulder, back to you. you were still talking to that jayden guy, your head tilted as you listened to him. you looked… happy. comfortable. a sharp and unpleasant pang hit him right in the ribs. he didn’t understand it. he just knew he didn’t like seeing it.

he looked back down at cynthia. her offer was simple. a game. a little distraction. no thinking required. maybe that’s what he needed. maybe if he was out there racing, he wouldn’t be in here watching you smile at someone else. he wouldn’t have to think about why it bothered him so much.

“whatever,” he muttered, giving a short, indifferent shrug. “fine.”

cynthia’s face lit up like she’d just won a prize. “perfect!” she said, linking her arm through his before he could pull away. “let’s go get ready. we’re so going to win this!”

as she led him toward the door, chattering about the rules of the race, jungkook let himself be pulled along. he focused on the simple task ahead; winning a stupid race. it was easier than thinking about the confusing, tight feeling in his chest, or the way your laugh had sounded from across the room when it wasn’t meant for him.

. . .

you were laughing with jayden. he’d been telling you about the wooden snowman he carved for his little cousin.

“so i was trying to make it jolly, you know? with a smile,” jayden said, shaking his head. “but the knife slipped. now it’s got this permanent grimace. my aunt said it looks more like gargamel than frosty.”

you covered your mouth, trying to stifle your giggle. “oh no! the poor thing.”

“the poor thing? you mean the poor kid! he took one look at it and hid behind the sofa.”

you laughed again, the sound warm. “i’m sure he’ll love it when he’s older. it’ll be a funny story.”

jayden smiled, his eyes on your face. “you always see the good side, don’t you?” he reached out then, his fingers gently touching the end of the braid mandy had woven into your hair. “this is cute, it suits you.”

you felt your cheeks get a little warm. the touch was… sudden. not in a weird way, it was nice, just... sudden. “oh, thanks! mandy did it. we wanted to match.”

his hand dropped, but he didn’t step back. if anything, he seemed to stand a little closer. his smile turned more serious. “hey, listen, after the festival ends tonight, i was wondering if you wanted to–”

a huge roar of cheering and applause cut him off. it came from outside the main hall doors.

both of you turned to look. jayden looked a little annoyed at the interruption, while you were just curious.

through the open doors, you could see the crowd gathered outside for the couples’ snowshoe race. and the first thing your eyes spotted was jungkook.

he was crossing the finish line, his long legs eating up the snow. he looked so focused, almost grim. and right behind him, attached to the same rope, was cynthia. she crossed the line a second after him and immediately let out a shriek of victory. she jumped toward him, throwing her arms out.

jungkook turned, and his hands came up to catch her by the waist, steadying her so she didn’t fall over in the snow. she was laughing, saying something up at him, her face flushed with victory and cold.

something inside your stomach dropped. it felt heavy and cold.

they were partners. for the couples’ race. of course they were. cynthia was pretty and fashionable and from the city, just like he was now. it made perfect sense, they probably had a lot in common.

you watched as cynthia kept one hand on his arm, smiling up at him. jungkook gave a short nod, not really smiling back, but he wasn’t pushing her away either. they looked… so comfortable together. were they dating? maybe that’s why he gave her a ride that day as you heard from jessica. the thought shouldn’t have bothered you, he could date whoever he wanted. he was annoying and rude and he flirted with everyone. it was none of your business.

but the heavy, unsettled feeling in your chest didn’t go away. it was only then that you realized you’d stopped smiling.

“looks like jeon won,” jayden said beside you, his tone flat.

“oh, yeah,” you said softly, forcing your eyes away from the scene outside. “i guess he did.” you tried to find your smile again for jayden, but it felt a little shaky. “sorry, what were you saying before?”

jayden leaned in a bit, his voice dropping so only you could hear. “i was saying… after the festival ends tonight, maybe you and i could go somewhere. just the two of us. maybe to the pub, or… my place.” he paused, letting the offer hang in the air. his eyes held a certain look you didn’t quite grasp. he meant his place. he meant drinks, then maybe moving to the couch, seeing where the night went. he’d liked you for a while, and he thought this was his clear shot.

your mind, however, was still stuck outside. you were seeing jungkook’s hands on cynthia’s waist, the easy way he’d caught her. you felt flustered and confused by your own reaction to it. so when jayden spoke, you heard the words but not the intention behind them. going somewhere after the festival with a friend? that sounded normal. nice, even.

you gave a small absent minded nod. “sure, that sounds nice,” you said, your voice polite and a little distant.

jayden’s whole face brightened. he leaned back, a confident, pleased smile spreading across his features.

just then, your mother hurried over, her brow pinched with worry. “sweetheart, have you seen rocky? they’re saying on the radio a big storm is rolling in fast. we need to get him inside.”

you blinked, your focus snapping back. “oh, no. he was with the kids outside.”

your mother just noticed jayden. “oh hello, jayden. how are your parents, son?”

“they’re doing well, thank you, auntie,” he said, ever the polite son.

you were already turning toward the door. “i’ll go find him right now, mama.”

you slipped out the main doors into the cold. the party was shifting inside as the first real flakes began to fall, thick and fast. you tried not to look toward the area where the race had been, where you could still hear cynthia’s bright laughter. you scanned the thinning crowd for a flash of scruffy brown fur.

then your eyes caught little kiki, the baker’s youngest. she was standing by the empty cookie table, her shoulders hunched and shaking with sobs.

your heart immediately softened. you rushed over and knelt in front of her, ignoring the cold seeping through your skirt. “kiki? angel, what’s wrong?”

she looked up, her face wet with tears. “i was p-playing with rocky,” she hiccupped. “i… i tried to give him my mitten, and i moved too fast. i scared him and he ran away!”

your eyes widened with concern, not blame. “oh, sweetie. it’s okay. where did he go?”

she pointed a trembling finger toward the dark line of trees. “that way. i’m so sorry, i didn’t mean to!”

you pulled her into a quick, warm hug. “it’s not your fault baby, these things happen. i’ll go find him, okay? you go inside where it’s warm. we can all play together when i bring him back, yeah?”

kiki sniffled and gave you a wobbly smile, nodding. you wiped a tear from her cheek with your thumb. “go on, baby. inside.”

you watched her scamper toward the hall doors before you turned to face the treeline. the wind had picked up, howling now, and the snow was coming down in earnest, blurring the shapes of the houses. a deep worry settled in your stomach. rocky was so little, the wind would sound like monsters to him. he’d be so terrified and alone in this.

without another thought, you pulled your coat collar up over your mouth, bowed your head against the blast, and started to run toward the trees. the swirling snow had swallowed you up, and your footprint disappearing almost as soon as you made them.

. . .

jungkook held a beer he wasn’t drinking. the noise of the party felt oddly too loud for him. cynthia was still glued to his side, talking about a rooftop bar she went.

“...and the cocktails were, like, twenty dollars each, but the view was totally worth it. you probably know the place, right? it’s exactly your scene.”

he grunted, his eyes moving over the crowd, looking for you. he’d completely lost sight of you after the race. he scanned the groups by the food, the people dancing, the ones sitting by the fire. no sign of your yellow dress or that soft smile.

cynthia kept talking, but he wasn’t listening at some point. a cold feeling, different from the storm outside, started to creep into his gut, and he didn’t know why.

just then, someone called his name. he looked over and saw mandy, your best friend, pushing through the crowd toward him. he was weirdly relieved to see her.

“jungkook,” she said, ignoring cynthia completely. “have you seen y/n? i can’t find her anywhere.”

his frown deepened, a small knot of tension formed between his shoulders. he’d been unconsciously looking for you for the last ten minutes. “no,” he said, his voice flat. “i haven’t.”

the knot tightened. it wasn’t like you to just vanish. you were the type to be helping in the kitchen, or talking to the elders, or dancing with the kids. disappearing wasn’t in your nature.

cynthia let out a short, mean laugh. “she’s probably in the kitchen stuffing her face. she’s always hanging around the food.”

jungkook barely heard her. his mind was clicking through possibilities, each one making the knot pull tighter. maybe you had gone home early? but you wouldn’t leave without telling your mom or mandy. maybe you were outside getting some air? but the storm had gone from bad to dangerous in minutes. no one with any sense was out there now. worry began to cut through his usual irritation. something wasn’t right.

mandy turned her head slowly toward cynthia, her eyes hard. “maybe you should go join her. you look like you could use a few good meals.”

cynthia gasped, choking on her own drink. jungkook couldn’t help it; a sharp, approving smirk tugged at his lips. he liked your friend.

mandy turned back to him, dismissing cynthia. “if you see her, tell her i’m looking for her, okay?”

jungkook gave her a short nod. “yeah.”

as mandy walked away, the cold feeling in his stomach turned to ice. yeah, something was definitely wrong. he cut cynthia off mid-sentence. “i’m getting another drink.” he didn’t even wait for her reply, just walked away, leaving her standing there.

he started moving through the hall, his eyes darting everywhere. he finally spotted jayden by the old stone fireplace, talking with a couple of other guys. jungkook hated the sight of him, but he was the last person he’d seen you with.

as he got closer, their voices cut through the noise.

“...she said yes, man! finally!” jayden was saying, taking a swig of his beer. a smug grin spread across his face. “after the festival, she’s all mine.”

one of his friends, a guy jungkook recognized from the hardware store, nudged him. “no way, seriously? you finally scored a date with the fine teacher?”

“more than a date,” jayden said, lowering his voice but not enough. he leaned in, his tone full of arrogant confidence. “she agreed to come back to my place. just the two of us, man. tonight’s the night.”

the other guy let out a low whistle and clapped jayden hard on the shoulder. “hell yeah! fucking the prettiest girl in town? i knew you’d wear her down man. have fun, you lucky bastard.”

the words hit jungkook like fucking hard blow, making him stop dead. how dare they talk this low about you. a wave of pure fury washed over him so fast it blinded him for a second. his vision tunneled on jayden’s grinning face. his hands clenched into fists so tight his knuckles turned white, hot rage exploded behind his eyes. he took a step forward, his body coiled to launch himself at jayden and break that smug smile right off his chopped face.

but before he could move, a small weight crashed into his legs. he looked down; a little girl had stumbled into him and now sat on the floor, crying.

oh shit. he hated kids. did he just make one cry? he had absolutely no fucking idea what to do. he just crouched down awkwardly, cursing as his big hands hovering near her little shoulders. “hey, uh kid. stop crying. uh, what’s wrong?”

the little girl, kiki, hiccupped through her tears. “i’m sorry… i– i scared her dog and he ran away. she went to find him but she’s not back yet!”

jungkook went completely still. “she? who you talking about, kid?”

“the nice teacher lady with the yellow dress. she went into the woods to get rocky a long time ago!”

everything else in the room snapped into silence. a cold, sheer terror, sharper than any he’d ever known, shot down his spine and locked his lungs.

you were outside. in the fucking woods. alone.

his little bear; who got flustered when the wind blew too hard, who smiled at everyone, who was too damn sweet and trusting for her own good, was outside in the terrifying storm right at this moment.

the image of you, small and scared in that swallowing whiteness, flashed behind his eyes. it was all he could see. the thought of you cold, lost, hurt, was like a fist squeezing his heart so tight he couldn’t breathe.

he jerked upright, so fast that he didn’t notice he made the little girl flinch. he was already moving, shoving past bodies, his only target was the heavy doors leading outside.

The hospital visit was longer than you expected.

When the doctor confirmed the pregnancy the second time, showing the gestational sac on the monitor, Jungkook’s hand tightened around yours. You felt him, the tension, the fear, the awe, all layered under the surface of a calm and composed-looking Jungkook. 

Jungkook stayed beside you the entire time. He was observing everything, memorized every instruction, and asked questions about every single thing related to pregnancy. 

The both of you were in the room for more than an hour, longer than a usual check up would be, but since he owns the hospital apparently they have booked the whole hour for the two of you. It seemed to be useful though, since Jungkook was curious about everything. 

He didn’t say anything in the car on the way home, because he was processing what just happened and what is currently happening in your lives.

You knew that look, you could recognize that he was reorganizing the world, his world, inside his head.

When you reached the penthouse, he carried you from the elevator to the bed even though you protested against it. You were sick, exhausted, overwhelmed, and Jungkook said he wasn’t going to take any chances.

That night, he barely slept. You felt Jungkook sitting on the edge of the bed more than once, felt his hand rest lightly on your stomach as if confirming something quietly to himself.

It was the closest thing to vulnerability he ever allowed himself to feel, and you didn’t mention it the next morning.

He didn’t either.

♡━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━♡

You didn’t expect pregnancy to be a strategic operation, but with Jungkook, it became one.

Week 7: He replaced all the pillows in the penthouse with pregnancy-safe ones. You didn’t even know there were dangerous pillows for a pregnant woman until Jungkook read one article that said such things existed. Week 8: He installed purified humidifiers in every room. You barely felt and smelled any change in the air, but if Jungkook knew, you were scared he would try to find ways to reinvent the air. So you stayed quiet. Week 9: He fired two bodyguards because they didn’t react fast enough when an intern bumped into you in the Jeon Retail elevator. Week 10: He banned seafood from the entire kitchen, which was really sweet of him. Jungkook loves his seafood. Week 11: He made Taehwan triple-check every restaurant you planned to visit.

At first, it annoyed you, then it comforted you because it is such an honor to have such a loving husband, but then it annoyed you again.

“You do realize I’m pregnant, not dying,” you told him one night as he reorganized your prenatal vitamins into labeled containers.

He didn’t look up, “You threw up again yesterday.”

“That is pretty normal and I checked with my doctor too,” you replied before adding, “I’m fine, Jungkook.”

He turned to you then with a stern look in his eyes, “I’m not willing to gamble on ‘fine.’”

You didn’t argue with him after that, you were exhausted as you had a long day at work and arguing with Jungkook is the last thing you would want to do. 

At eleven weeks, your bump had barely started to show, but Jungkook noticed before you did. You were changing into your pajamas when he paused mid step, and his eyes narrowed slightly.

“What?” you asked.

He walked closer, knelt in front of you, and pressed his palm to your stomach, “It’s different,” he murmured.

You rolled your eyes, “It’s bloating.” “It’s not.” “It is,” you responded.

He stood up, kissed your forehead once, and said, “you’re showing.”

And he was right, you saw it the next morning in the mirror.

♡━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━♡

The ultrasound room was dim, and the only source of light came from the monitor and the small lamp beside the doctor’s desk. You were 27 weeks now, far enough that the baby’s movements were regular and strong.

He sat beside you in the consultation room, and he has never missed any consultation. An old nurse who was attending to you mentioned he’s been one of the most active husbands she has ever seen. You couldn’t help but smile at the comment. 

“All right,” the doctor said, “Let’s take a look.”

You laid back and Jungkook held your hand. His posture was rigid, not from fear but from focusing on the monitor. 

“There’s the head,” the doctor said.

Jungkook’s grip tightened. 

“And the spine, and here’s the heartbeat.”

The room filled with nothing but the sound of the baby’s heartbeats. Jungkook froze for a moment, the heartbeat always doing something to him that he never could put into words.

The doctor continued taking measurements and Jungkook memorized every number under his breath, his voice was low enough that only you heard it.

Then she paused, eyes looking towards the both of you, “Would you like to know the sex?”

You looked at him. He didn’t look away from the screen, but the pressure of his thumb increased slightly, you took that as a yes. 

“Yes,” you answered softly.

The doctor nodded, “Congratulations. You’re having a girl.”

Jungkook went still, completely still.

You stared at him, searching for anything, relief, joy, or fear, but his expression was unreadable.

“Jungkook?” you whispered.

The doctor excused herself to print documents needed to be printed, leaving you two alone for a moment.

“Say something,” you murmured.

He finally looked at you, “A girl,” he said quietly.

You smiled and nodded, “Yes.”

He exhaled slowly, like he has been holding his breath for months without realizing.

“She will look like you,” he said.

You blinked, “You don’t know that.”

“I do,” his voice was filled with certainty, “she’ll have your face, your eyes, and your brain.”

You smiled lightly, “And your stubbornness.”

He didn’t deny it, which was unusual enough to make you pause. But he lowered his gaze to your stomach.

“She will be tiny,” he murmured, “too tiny for this world.” Your chest tightened, “She will have you.” His jaw flexed, “She will have us.”

He looked up again at you, “And I will not let anything touch her.”

You touched his cheek, “She’s not even born yet and you’re already overprotective.”

“That won’t change,” he said.

The doctor returned with the printed documents along with photo scans of your daughter. You thanked her, and Jungkook took the scans and documents from your hand without asking.

He stared at the first image, then the second, then the third where the label GIRL was printed clearly in the corner.

His fingers tightened slightly on the edge of the paper.

“Are you okay?” you asked softly.

“I’m not used to this feeling,” he admitted quietly.

“What feeling?”

He looked at the image again, and his voice lowered, “Fear.”

“Fear of what?”

“She will be tiny and fragile.”

You shook your head, “She will be strong.”

“She will be vulnerable,” Jungkook stated.

“Not with you as a father,” you replied.

He swallowed, “That’s what scares me.”

You blinked in confusion, “Explain.”

“She’s going to break my entire life open and I can’t let anything hurt her.” You touched your stomach, “Then you won’t.”

Jungkook was silent for a few seconds before admitting, “I didn’t know I wanted a daughter until now.”

“And?” “And I want her,” he said, “I want her to be born already.”

You reached for his hand and he gripped yours instantly, “You’ll be a good father,” you said.

“No,” he said immediately, “I’ll be better.”

You laughed softly, “That’s the same thing.”

He shook his head, “Not to me.”

Later in the car, he didn’t turn any music on. He didn’t speak for the first five minutes of the drive.

You thought he was overwhelmed again and just as you thought, Jungkook sighed and said, “A daughter will destroy me,” he stopped before adding, “in the best way,” he clarified.

You let out a shaky laugh, but Jungkook continued with a flat tone, “I’ll give her everything.”

You smiled, “I had a feeling.”

“And I’ll kill anyone who-” “Jungkook,” you called him out before he could finish his sentence.

“I’m just stating facts,” he said calmly.

And you knew he wasn’t joking around or just saying it.

He drove the rest of the way home with one hand on the wheel and the other wrapped firmly around yours, his thumb brushing your hand now and then like he was memorizing this exact moment.

♡━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━♡

Your bump was unmistakable now.

The penthouse changed with you. Jungkook had the nursery remodeled twice; once because the lighting was “too bright,” and the other one because he didn’t like the flooring material. 

“This is excessive,” you told him one afternoon while sitting on the nursery chair.

He was examining the crib screws with the precision of a businessman trying to invest a huge amount of money in a new business, “No,” he answered, “it is not.”

You stared at him, “Normal parents don’t-”

“I’m not normal.”

You blinked, and let out a small laugh, “You said that too quickly.”

He crouched in front of you, placed a hand on your knee, and looked up with that calm seriousness only Jungkook had, “I will not let anything happen to you or the child.”

You brushed a few strands of hair from his eyes, “Nothing will.” His jaw clenched, “That’s not how the world works.” “Do you trust me?” you asked. He nodded once. “Then trust that it will all be okay.”

He exhaled slowly, “I’m trying.” You smirked at him, teasing him, “You’re failing.”

“I know.”

But he was trying. At least in Jungkook’s way, he was trying.

♡━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━♡

You remembered the exact moment when the baby kicked for the first time. You were reading on the couch when it happened, a soft thump surprising enough to make you gasp.

Jungkook looked up instantly at you, “What?”

You quickly grabbed his wrist and pressed his hand against your bump.

And there was another kick. His eyes widened then he froze before saying, “Again,” he said quietly.

Another kick.

He inhaled sharply, so soft you almost didn’t catch it, and bowed his head slightly as if giving thanks to something he didn’t believe in, “You’re doing so well,” he said.

You laughed, “I’m literally just sitting here, lazing around and reading.”

“No, you’re growing someone. That’s not ‘just,’” Jungkook said before kissing your forehead.

♡━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━♡

It was 2:34 AM when you nudged Jungkook in his sleep.

Once. Twice.

Jungkook groaned quietly, still half asleep, his arm tightening around your waist on instinct, “What’s wrong?” he asked immediately. 

You hesitated to even say it, it was a ridiculous thing to say at this time in the night. But your craving was so bad, you really needed to eat it.

“I want tiramisu,” you said quietly.

You waited for him to tease you or say something but Jungkook blinked his eyes open and stared at the ceiling, processing what you just said, “From where?” he asked.

You swallowed, “The Italian fast food restaurant in Gangdong-gu.”

He turned his head slowly to look at you, “That’s across town,” he stated.

“I know,” you said softly, already feeling guilty,  “It’s okay. I don’t actually need it. I’m just having the usual dumb cravings.”

Jungkook was already sitting up.

“Jungkook,” you called out to him to stop him.

He pushed the blankets off, reached for his phone, and checked the time, “They close at 4 AM. I have time,” he said.

Your mouth fell open, “You’re not serious.”

He stood there, already pulling on sweatpants, “Did you want the regular one or the one with extra cocoa powder?”

You stared at him, stunned, “You’re insane.” “Yes,” he agreed calmly, grabbing his wallet, “go back to sleep.”

You grabbed his wrist, “Jungkook. It’s the middle of the night, you don’t have to.”

He leaned down and kissed your forehead, “This is the first time you woke me up because you wanted something,” he said, “that means this is important.”

“That’s not how cravings work,” you mumbled. “That’s how I work,” Jungkook replied. 

He was gone before you could argue further.

You didn’t sleep. You laid there, half amused, half emotional, just staring at the ceiling while your baby moved lazily inside you like she approved of this entire situation.

Almost an hour later, you could hear the faint sound of the entrance door of the penthouse opening. You heard Jungkook kick his shoes off, the soft rustle of a paper bag, then his footsteps approaching the bedroom.

Once inside the bedroom, Jungkook set the box on your nightstand, “I can’t believe there were still people there,” he said in amusement, “I bought three of every flavor they have left; original, matcha, and oreo, just in case.”

You sat up slowly, blinking at the familiar logo on the box, “You actually went.”

He nodded, “There was no traffic.”

You laughed, then you felt your eyes tearing up. Jungkook froze instantly, “Hey, hey, why are you crying?”

“This is stupid,” you sniffed, “you drove across town at three in the morning for tiramisu.”

He sat on the edge of the bed, opened the box carefully, and picked up a fork, “It’s not stupid,” he said, scooping a perfect bite and holding it out to you, “Eat.”

You obeyed, and it was perfect, exactly what you wanted, and exactly what you needed.

Jungkook watched you take another bite, then murmured quietly, almost to himself, “If this is what it takes to keep you both happy,” he said, “I’ll do it every night.”

You reached for his hand, squeezing it gently, “You’re going to regret saying that.”

He didn’t hesitate before saying, “No, I won’t.”

♡━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━♡

The final month of pregnancy was brutal in ways you didn’t expect.

Your back ached constantly, you couldn’t find a comfortable position to sleep, your ankles were swollen, your appetite kept on changing between starving and nonexistent, and your baby kept on kicking like they were in training for a combat sport.

And Jungkook watched every wince like it physically hurt him.

“Are you okay?” “Tired?” “Should I call the doctor?” “Sit. Don’t stand.” “No, I’ll carry you.” “No, you’re not lifting that.” “No, you’re not walking alone.”

It would’ve annoyed you if he weren’t so sincere about it.

At 33 weeks, he banned you from going to work, and your boss agreed before you could argue.

Jungkook was waiting outside the office that day, he didn’t tell you he would be there. He just stood by the car, hands in pockets, waiting for you.

When you approached, he opened the door, helped you in, and before you could argue with him about how you could’ve gone home by yourself, Jungkook said, “Don’t argue with me.”

And you didn’t because you were actually exhausted.

At home, he helped you upstairs, he massaged your calves without being asked. He brought you water and propped pillows behind your back. He also adjusted the AC three times until the temperature felt right to you.

Then he sat beside you on the bed, “How are you?” he asked.

You shrugged, “Heavy,” you leaned your head against his shoulder, “we’re weeks away, are you ready?”

“Yes,” he said without hesitation. “Really?” “I’m ready to protect you,” he said, “and I’m ready to protect our child.” “That’s not what I meant,” you responded.

He exhaled, then admitted quietly, “I’m terrified.” “Of what?” “Of not being enough. But I’ll learn,” he said simply before adding, “I always learn quickly.”

You smiled at him, “You will be a good father.”

His jaw flexed, like the words hit him hard. Jungkook kissed your forehead, “When she is here,” he said, “I’ll show you.”

♡━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━♡

You didn’t expect labor to begin quietly.

At 39 weeks, you woke up at 4:27 AM with a pressure so deep it made you exhale in pain. Jungkook was asleep beside you, and you nudged him, “Jungkook.”

He woke up instantly, like a switch being flipped, “What’s wrong?”

“I think it’s starting,” you said. He sat up fully, “Pain?” “Yes, but not too bad.”

He watched you for a fraction of a second, assessing you, before getting up and within one minute, he had your robe ready, your hospital bag over his shoulder, your slippers in his hand, and your medical file in the other. 

Jungkook wasn’t panicking, he was operating in a mode beyond panic, he was laser focused.

The drive was silent, his hand gripping yours tighter every time you inhaled. You didn’t scream or cry, but at the third contraction, you squeezed his hand so tight which made Jungkook drive faster than he already was. 

Jungkook didn’t bother finding a parking spot.

The car stopped directly at the hospital lobby. He was out of the driver’s seat in seconds, already at your side, already helping you into the wheelchair the staff rushed forward with. The car was left where it was, with the keys still inside.

You were escorted through restricted corridors, and straight into a private suite reserved for the Jeon family or the Jeon’s closest friends. 

Jungkook never let go of you, not when the pain came in waves, not when the hours blurred together.

Jungkook stood at your side the entire time, unnaturally still and frighteningly focused, his attention narrowed to you and the life you were bringing into the world.

You gripped Jungkook’s hand again as the contraction hit harder this time.

“I’m here,” he said, “focus on breathing.”

“I am,” you snapped.

“You’re holding your breath.”

You inhaled sharply, “I’m fucking trying.”

“You’re not trying,” he said, “you’re visibly panicking.”

“I am not panicking.”

He tilted his head slightly, “Then why are you shaking?”

You opened your mouth to argue, but another contraction crashed through you, stealing the words from your throat. Your fingers clenched around his hand like it was the only solid thing left in the room, and Jungkook didn’t flinch.

He stepped closer, bringing his forehead gently against yours, “Listen to me,” he said, “in through your nose, and out through your mouth.”

Your breath stuttered, then followed his. “Again,” he murmured, “with me.”

“That’s it,” he said quietly, “you’re doing exactly what you’re supposed to do.”

You let out a shaky breath, your forehead still pressed to his, “I hate this.”

“I know,” he replied without hesitation, “I’m sorry. I’ll be here with you.”

The doctor entered and checked your dilation.

“Six centimeters,” she said, “very fast progression, we’re moving quickly.”

Just right after she left, another contraction hit, longer this time. Jungkook stepped closer, bracing himself against the bedframe, his palm against your back.

“Look at me,” he said, “you’re doing well.”

“I don’t feel like I’m doing well.”

“You are.”

You exhaled shakily, “Can you just not analyze everything for one second?”

He blinked at you, “I’m not analyzing.”

“You’re literally calculating my contractions.”

“That’s not analyzing.”

“That is analyzing.”

Hours passed and it was finally time for labor. 

The pain came in relentless waves and time blurred between contractions, instructions, and breathing you barely remembered how to control.

Jungkook never left your side.

He stood through every hour, steady and unyielding, holding your hand, grounding you when your strength wavered. Somewhere between exhaustion and determination, your body took over.

When it was time to push, Jungkook became all focus and control, he helped you through every second. After one final effort, everything broke open.

Your daughter arrived with a sharp cry and just like that, the pain was replaced by the sound that changed your life forever.

Time finally slowed down for you, you didn’t see her immediately as the nurses were cleaning and checking her.

But you saw Jungkook, his eyes never left you ever since the two of you arrived in the hospital.

His hand tightened around yours, “You did it,” he said quietly, like he needed you to hear it more than anyone else.

And in that moment, before anything or anyone else, you were still the center of his world.

He leaned over you, his hands cupped your face, thumbs brushing away tears you didn’t realise were still there, and then he was kissing you like he was afraid you might disappear if he didn’t keep touching you.

“I’m sorry,” he murmured against your lips, “I’m so sorry.”

You frowned weakly, “For what?”

“For this,” he said, pressing his forehead to yours, “for putting you through it, for letting you be in that much pain.”

“You don’t need to be sorry.”

“I do,” he interrupted softly, “I don’t ever want to see you like that again,” he whispered, “I don’t want to put you in this position ever again, I would take it from you if I could.”

You smiled at him, “I chose this.”

“I know,” he said, as he pulled back just enough to look at you, “you were incredible,” he said, “stronger than anyone I’ve ever seen.”

And in that moment, surrounded by soft cries of your daughter, Jungkook held you like you were the most precious thing in the room. 

Because to him, you will always be the most precious thing.

The nurse walked to the other side of the bed and held up your tiny daughter, “Here is your daughter. Would you like to hold her, mom?”

You nodded, unable to trust your voice. The nurse moved carefully, placing your daughter into your arms, she felt warm and tiny, and her cries softened as she settled against your chest.

You looked down, her fingers curled weakly, her face scrunched in protest at the world she just entered, “Jeon Seoa,” you whispered her name which you and Jungkook have chosen for her.

Jungkook went completely still beside you.

He hovered at first, unsure where to touch, like he was afraid one wrong move would shatter the moment. His hand rested on your shoulder, then slid down to lightly brush your daughter’s back.

“She,” he stopped, “she’s real.” “She is,” you said, tearing up.

“Hi,” he murmured softly to Seoa, like he didn’t want to startle her, “I’m right here.”

“She’s beautiful,” you whispered.

He nodded once, “She is.” “She looks like you.” “No,” he said immediately, “she looks like both of us.” 

“She’s mine,” Jungkook added, “mine to protect, raise, and to keep safe. And you,” he said softly, “are everything I need to do that right.”

He leaned down, kissed your forehead, “rest,” he said, “I’ll take care of you both.”

“Will you hold her?” you whispered.

He hesitated, not because he didn’t want to, but because he wanted it too much. He took her gently from your arms, cradling her against his chest.

She settled instantly, and you saw Jungkook closing his eyes. For the second time in his life, Jungkook looked at peace, like the war inside him had ended the second she took her first breath. The first time he felt this way was when you said “I do”. 

He looked at you again, “I love you and I love her.” You smiled through the tears, “I know, fatherhood suits you,” you whispered.

He shook his head faintly, “No, she suits me, and I’ll spend the rest of my life proving I deserve the both of you.”

♡━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━♡

They came quietly.

Jungkook’s parents and your mother entered the room together, with light footsteps and hushed voices. When they came in, none of them looked towards the bassinet, all three of them looked at you instinctively. 

Your mom was the first to move. She crossed the room without hesitation and took your hands gently in hers, “You did so well, I’m so proud of you.”

Jungkook’s mother stood on your other side, “You were very incredible,” she whispered. Meanwhile Mr. Jeon bowed his head slightly to you, “Thank you,” he said, “for bringing her into the world safely.”

After a while, your mom turned slowly toward the bassinet, “May we see her now?”

You smiled and nodded at them.

Jungkook lifted the baby gently and placed her into your mother’s arms, she cradled Seoa carefully, like something sacred, “Oh,” she exhaled, “she’s beautiful.”

Mrs. Jeon leaned in beside her, tearing up, “She looks just like her mama.” 

Jungkook’s father stepped closer, hands behind his back, eyes softening as he studied the tiny face, “She has strong lungs,” he said quietly, earning a soft laugh from everyone.

Jungkook watched them all, his parents, your mother, his daughter.

And he felt something settled in his chest, he felt certainty. Jungkook knew Jeon Seoa would grow up deeply and fiercely loved.

♡━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━♡

The first weeks blurred in a sleep deprived and time didn't exist way. 

You were discharged after two days. The first night home, the baby cried every 45 minutes. You tried to get up but Jungkook pushed a hand gently but firmly against your shoulder, “I’ll go,” he said.

“You can’t,” you muttered, “you have work.”

“I have a daughter,” he said, already standing up, “work can wait.”

He moved with surprising competence, which was funny, because probably in the first time of his life, the Jeon Jungkook absolutely did not have it figured out. 

The first diaper change took ten minutes, and she peed halfway through and he swore under his breath, then apologized to Seoa like she understood.

“Did you just say sorry to a newborn?” you said, laughing weakly. “Yes,” he said flatly. “She doesn’t know.” “She will,” he adjusted the diaper again, “and I’m not starting our relationship with negligence.”

He brought her back carefully, holding her like she was made of glass. He watched you breastfeed her, his eyebrows furrowed in concentration, “Is it painful?” he asked quietly.

“A little,” you said honestly.

His jaw clenched, “I hate that.”

He tried not to hover, but he did, constantly.

If you shifted, he looked. If you winced, he moved. If you sighed, he asked what was wrong.

You snapped at him once on day four, “Stop watching me,” you muttered, exhausted, sore, hormonal, with a baby crying in your arms, “you’re making me nervous.”

And Jungkook adjusted, like he always did, but this time to your postpartum emotions.

“I didn’t mean it,” you said the next morning, finding him in the nursery halfway through folding tiny clothes. 

He didn’t look surprised, “I know.” “I was tired.” “I know,” he said, nodding. You stepped closer to him, “You’re doing well.”

Jungkook snorted softly, “I’m dropping wipes everywhere.” “You’re still doing well.”

He never believed he would be a good father by instinct, but he took the role the way he took everything in life: he studied, adapted, and executed.

Jungkook watched videos in the middle of the night about burping techniques. He learned how to swaddle tightly enough that she could calm down instantly. He experimented with different rocking rhythms until he found the one that made her eyes close the fastest. Jungkook has also memorized Seoa’s hunger cues, her “I’m overstimulated” cry, and her “I just want contact” whine.

The learning curve was steep, but Jungkook climbed it anyway. God really took his time creating Jeon Jungkook.

One night, around 3 AM, the baby’s cry cut through the room like a siren, you tried to sit up but lost to Jungkook who was already on his feet, “Stay,” Jungkook said.

He picked Seoa up, held her upright, checked her diaper, and mumbled something to her. You watched him walk slowly, with her tiny body tucked under his chin. He was shirtless, his hair was a mess, and his eyes looked tired but focused. He rubbed circles on Seoa’s back and hummed a tune under his breath.

“You look tired,” you said. He glanced at the clock, “She will want to eat in around an hour.”

“You can sleep, that’s my job anyway.” He shook his head, “I’ll hold her for now.” You stared at him, “You don’t have to be awake every time.”

“Yes, I do.” “Why?” Jungkook blinked once at you, “Because you shouldn’t be alone,” he said it like it was obvious.

♡━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━♡

“I’m going back to work in a few months,” you stated.

His eyes flicked to you, “I know.” “Are you okay with that?” you asked.

Jungkook held your gaze and said, “You told me that before we got married, that you would always work and earn your own money. And I didn’t marry you expecting you to change once we have kids.”

You sighed in relief, “Good.” “But we’re not using a nanny,” he added.

You raised an eyebrow, “We might need one.” “We have Taehwan.” You rolled your eyes, “Not the same, I doubt he has the skills to raise a child.”

He frowned at you, “I don’t want a stranger raising her. We can send Taehwan to parenting programs.” “Or we can find someone credible with experience that we can trust,” you argued. “The two of us are good enough.”

You stared at him, “You’re planning to co-parent through sheer willpower with our corporate scheduling?” “Yes,” he said flatly.

“Jungkook.” “We’ll make it work. Taehwan will be reliable, I promise. I’ll enroll him into parenting programs starting tomorrow.”

You knew better than to push then. Instead, you watched what he did over the next few weeks.

Other than enrolling Taehwan into parenting programs where he’ll learn how to raise a child, Jungkook also rearranged his schedule.

He declined unnecessary dinners, he shortened business trips wherever possible, and he had a meeting room next to his office converted into a nursery, so she could be brought in on days you needed to work late.

♡━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━♡

At three months, Seoa started sleeping slightly longer at night. At four months, she laughed for the first time.

Jungkook was the one who made her laugh. He was changing her on the bed, telling Seoa about a plan on expanding the Jeon business to Europe, when she suddenly let out an abrupt giggle.

He went still, and you looked up from your laptop, startled. Jungkook stared at her, “Do it again.”

She didn’t.

He frowned, “You think she did it on purpose?” “She is four months old,” you said, “no one knows what they’re doing at four months old.”

He stared another second then, without warning, leaned down and blew against her neck.

Seoa shrieked and giggled again. Jungkook froze, then did it again and by the fourth attempt, she was laughing uncontrollably.

“What?” he asked when he noticed you staring at him. “You’re ridiculous,” you said. He corrected you, “She likes it.” “You like it.”

He didn’t deny that, either.

At six months, Seoa rolled over. At seven months, she started reaching for him whenever he walked into the room. At eight months, she started babbling more consistently. 

“Say mama,” you tried to teach her one afternoon. She stared at you, drooling on her chin.

“Mama,” you repeated. “Mmm.. ba.”

Jungkook, from the sofa, said, “She said my name.”

You glared at him, “She did not say ‘Jungkook.’”

“She said ‘ba’ That’s clearly short for ‘baba,’ which is me.”

Then one night, around nine months in, it happened.

You were in the nursery, half asleep on the chair while Jungkook finished replying to an email on his phone. Seoa was in her crib, fussing but not fully awake.

Jungkook slid his phone into his pocket and walked over. He leaned against the railing, watching her roll from side to side, eyes squeezed shut.

“Sleep,” he murmured. 

She whined softly.

“Don’t start,” Jungkook said, “your mother is exhausted, I’m exhausted. And you had three naps, that’s more than both of us combined,” he said to Seoa while pointing a finger at you and himself. 

Then, Seoa started crying and kicking her legs in the air. Jungkook reached down, and rubbed her cheeks lightly, “Come on stop crying,” he whispered, “dada is here.”

She rolled to one side, her tiny hand grasping the edge of the crib rail, then, in a small and clear voice, she said, “Dada.”

Jungkook froze like he had been shot, he stared down at Seoa, “Say it again.” She blinked up at him, and said it again, more confident this time, “Dada.”

You stood up slowly, “Did she just?” He turned his head toward you, Jungkook’s eyes were glassy with tears, “She said dada,” he said happily.

You nodded, smiling at him, “She did.”

He reached down and picked Seoa up, holding her against his chest. “Dada,” she mumbled into his shirt.

He closed his eyes, “I’m done,” he said quietly.

“With what?” you asked.

“With pretending anything else matters as much as this,” he said, “everything else is third.” You stepped closer to him, “You know you can’t quit being Jeon Jungkook.”

“I won’t,” he responded, “but I can reorganize everything.” “And what’s at the top of your list?” “You first,” he said, “and Seoa second.”

♡━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━♡

The shift in your marriage wasn’t sudden. It didn’t happen in one moment, instead these changes happened across a series of small choices.

Jungkook took meetings from home more often, your daughter sometimes asleep in a sling against his chest while he discussed expansion strategies like nothing about the way he did it was unusual.

Jungkook has missed an industry gala because Seoa had a fever and he refused to leave her side, sitting by her crib for hours straight while you tried to convince him to rest.

You saw the change most clearly one night, when Seoa is now one year old and asleep in her crib, and you found Jungkook standing in the doorway just watching her.

You walked up beside him, “You okay?” He nodded, “Yes.” “Then what’s with the staring?”

He didn’t look away, “I like confirming she’s real.” You leaned against the frame, “She says dada more than she says mama.” “She should.” “You’re insufferable,” you said, rolling your eyes at him.

You were quiet for a moment before asking, “Do you ever miss the time when it was just us?” you asked.

He thought about it for a few minutes, before finally answering, “I miss certain moments,” he said, “but I don’t want to go back.”

“Why not?”

“Because back then, I thought loving you was the most terrifying thing I’d ever do,” he said, “I didn’t know it was just training.”

“For what?”

He looked at you.

“For this,” he said, “for loving both of you.”

You laughed quietly.

He stepped behind you, slid his arms around your waist, and rested his chin on your shoulder.

“I’m not less intense,” he said, “I’m just more directed.” “Directed where?” you questioned him. “At you,” he said, “at her, and at making sure the two of you never have to be afraid of anything I can control.”

“Do you realize how extreme you sound?” you laughed softly. “Yes.” “And you’re okay with that?” He didn’t hesitate when he answered, “I am your husband, and I am her dad, extremes are part of the job.”

You turned your head, and kissed his cheek.

“Jeon Jungkook,” you said quietly, “you’re doing well.”

He didn’t deflect for once.

He just held you tighter as he kept watching Seoa sleep, and let the world outside the nursery, the Jeon empire, meetings, obligations, expectations, shrink down to the one thing that finally mattered more than any of it:

The tiny girl who calls him, “dada.”

The hospital visit was longer than you expected.

When the doctor confirmed the pregnancy the second time, showing the gestational sac on the monitor, Jungkook’s hand tightened around yours. You felt him, the tension, the fear, the awe, all layered under the surface of a calm and composed-looking Jungkook. 

Jungkook stayed beside you the entire time. He was observing everything, memorized every instruction, and asked questions about every single thing related to pregnancy. 

The both of you were in the room for more than an hour, longer than a usual check up would be, but since he owns the hospital apparently they have booked the whole hour for the two of you. It seemed to be useful though, since Jungkook was curious about everything. 

He didn’t say anything in the car on the way home, because he was processing what just happened and what is currently happening in your lives.

You knew that look, you could recognize that he was reorganizing the world, his world, inside his head.

When you reached the penthouse, he carried you from the elevator to the bed even though you protested against it. You were sick, exhausted, overwhelmed, and Jungkook said he wasn’t going to take any chances.

That night, he barely slept. You felt Jungkook sitting on the edge of the bed more than once, felt his hand rest lightly on your stomach as if confirming something quietly to himself.

It was the closest thing to vulnerability he ever allowed himself to feel, and you didn’t mention it the next morning.

He didn’t either.

♡━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━♡

You didn’t expect pregnancy to be a strategic operation, but with Jungkook, it became one.

Week 7: He replaced all the pillows in the penthouse with pregnancy-safe ones. You didn’t even know there were dangerous pillows for a pregnant woman until Jungkook read one article that said such things existed. Week 8: He installed purified humidifiers in every room. You barely felt and smelled any change in the air, but if Jungkook knew, you were scared he would try to find ways to reinvent the air. So you stayed quiet. Week 9: He fired two bodyguards because they didn’t react fast enough when an intern bumped into you in the Jeon Retail elevator. Week 10: He banned seafood from the entire kitchen, which was really sweet of him. Jungkook loves his seafood. Week 11: He made Taehwan triple-check every restaurant you planned to visit.

At first, it annoyed you, then it comforted you because it is such an honor to have such a loving husband, but then it annoyed you again.

“You do realize I’m pregnant, not dying,” you told him one night as he reorganized your prenatal vitamins into labeled containers.

He didn’t look up, “You threw up again yesterday.”

“That is pretty normal and I checked with my doctor too,” you replied before adding, “I’m fine, Jungkook.”

He turned to you then with a stern look in his eyes, “I’m not willing to gamble on ‘fine.’”

You didn’t argue with him after that, you were exhausted as you had a long day at work and arguing with Jungkook is the last thing you would want to do. 

At eleven weeks, your bump had barely started to show, but Jungkook noticed before you did. You were changing into your pajamas when he paused mid step, and his eyes narrowed slightly.

“What?” you asked.

He walked closer, knelt in front of you, and pressed his palm to your stomach, “It’s different,” he murmured.

You rolled your eyes, “It’s bloating.” “It’s not.” “It is,” you responded.

He stood up, kissed your forehead once, and said, “you’re showing.”

And he was right, you saw it the next morning in the mirror.

♡━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━♡

The ultrasound room was dim, and the only source of light came from the monitor and the small lamp beside the doctor’s desk. You were 27 weeks now, far enough that the baby’s movements were regular and strong.

He sat beside you in the consultation room, and he has never missed any consultation. An old nurse who was attending to you mentioned he’s been one of the most active husbands she has ever seen. You couldn’t help but smile at the comment. 

“All right,” the doctor said, “Let’s take a look.”

You laid back and Jungkook held your hand. His posture was rigid, not from fear but from focusing on the monitor. 

“There’s the head,” the doctor said.

Jungkook’s grip tightened. 

“And the spine, and here’s the heartbeat.”

The room filled with nothing but the sound of the baby’s heartbeats. Jungkook froze for a moment, the heartbeat always doing something to him that he never could put into words.

The doctor continued taking measurements and Jungkook memorized every number under his breath, his voice was low enough that only you heard it.

Then she paused, eyes looking towards the both of you, “Would you like to know the sex?”

You looked at him. He didn’t look away from the screen, but the pressure of his thumb increased slightly, you took that as a yes. 

“Yes,” you answered softly.

The doctor nodded, “Congratulations. You’re having a girl.”

Jungkook went still, completely still.

You stared at him, searching for anything, relief, joy, or fear, but his expression was unreadable.

“Jungkook?” you whispered.

The doctor excused herself to print documents needed to be printed, leaving you two alone for a moment.

“Say something,” you murmured.

He finally looked at you, “A girl,” he said quietly.

You smiled and nodded, “Yes.”

He exhaled slowly, like he has been holding his breath for months without realizing.

“She will look like you,” he said.

You blinked, “You don’t know that.”

“I do,” his voice was filled with certainty, “she’ll have your face, your eyes, and your brain.”

You smiled lightly, “And your stubbornness.”

He didn’t deny it, which was unusual enough to make you pause. But he lowered his gaze to your stomach.

“She will be tiny,” he murmured, “too tiny for this world.” Your chest tightened, “She will have you.” His jaw flexed, “She will have us.”

He looked up again at you, “And I will not let anything touch her.”

You touched his cheek, “She’s not even born yet and you’re already overprotective.”

“That won’t change,” he said.

The doctor returned with the printed documents along with photo scans of your daughter. You thanked her, and Jungkook took the scans and documents from your hand without asking.

He stared at the first image, then the second, then the third where the label GIRL was printed clearly in the corner.

His fingers tightened slightly on the edge of the paper.

“Are you okay?” you asked softly.

“I’m not used to this feeling,” he admitted quietly.

“What feeling?”

He looked at the image again, and his voice lowered, “Fear.”

“Fear of what?”

“She will be tiny and fragile.”

You shook your head, “She will be strong.”

“She will be vulnerable,” Jungkook stated.

“Not with you as a father,” you replied.

He swallowed, “That’s what scares me.”

You blinked in confusion, “Explain.”

“She’s going to break my entire life open and I can’t let anything hurt her.” You touched your stomach, “Then you won’t.”

Jungkook was silent for a few seconds before admitting, “I didn’t know I wanted a daughter until now.”

“And?” “And I want her,” he said, “I want her to be born already.”

You reached for his hand and he gripped yours instantly, “You’ll be a good father,” you said.

“No,” he said immediately, “I’ll be better.”

You laughed softly, “That’s the same thing.”

He shook his head, “Not to me.”

Later in the car, he didn’t turn any music on. He didn’t speak for the first five minutes of the drive.

You thought he was overwhelmed again and just as you thought, Jungkook sighed and said, “A daughter will destroy me,” he stopped before adding, “in the best way,” he clarified.

You let out a shaky laugh, but Jungkook continued with a flat tone, “I’ll give her everything.”

You smiled, “I had a feeling.”

“And I’ll kill anyone who-” “Jungkook,” you called him out before he could finish his sentence.

“I’m just stating facts,” he said calmly.

And you knew he wasn’t joking around or just saying it.

He drove the rest of the way home with one hand on the wheel and the other wrapped firmly around yours, his thumb brushing your hand now and then like he was memorizing this exact moment.

♡━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━♡

Your bump was unmistakable now.

The penthouse changed with you. Jungkook had the nursery remodeled twice; once because the lighting was “too bright,” and the other one because he didn’t like the flooring material. 

“This is excessive,” you told him one afternoon while sitting on the nursery chair.

He was examining the crib screws with the precision of a businessman trying to invest a huge amount of money in a new business, “No,” he answered, “it is not.”

You stared at him, “Normal parents don’t-”

“I’m not normal.”

You blinked, and let out a small laugh, “You said that too quickly.”

He crouched in front of you, placed a hand on your knee, and looked up with that calm seriousness only Jungkook had, “I will not let anything happen to you or the child.”

You brushed a few strands of hair from his eyes, “Nothing will.” His jaw clenched, “That’s not how the world works.” “Do you trust me?” you asked. He nodded once. “Then trust that it will all be okay.”

He exhaled slowly, “I’m trying.” You smirked at him, teasing him, “You’re failing.”

“I know.”

But he was trying. At least in Jungkook’s way, he was trying.

♡━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━♡

You remembered the exact moment when the baby kicked for the first time. You were reading on the couch when it happened, a soft thump surprising enough to make you gasp.

Jungkook looked up instantly at you, “What?”

You quickly grabbed his wrist and pressed his hand against your bump.

And there was another kick. His eyes widened then he froze before saying, “Again,” he said quietly.

Another kick.

He inhaled sharply, so soft you almost didn’t catch it, and bowed his head slightly as if giving thanks to something he didn’t believe in, “You’re doing so well,” he said.

You laughed, “I’m literally just sitting here, lazing around and reading.”

“No, you’re growing someone. That’s not ‘just,’” Jungkook said before kissing your forehead.

♡━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━♡

It was 2:34 AM when you nudged Jungkook in his sleep.

Once. Twice.

Jungkook groaned quietly, still half asleep, his arm tightening around your waist on instinct, “What’s wrong?” he asked immediately. 

You hesitated to even say it, it was a ridiculous thing to say at this time in the night. But your craving was so bad, you really needed to eat it.

“I want tiramisu,” you said quietly.

You waited for him to tease you or say something but Jungkook blinked his eyes open and stared at the ceiling, processing what you just said, “From where?” he asked.

You swallowed, “The Italian fast food restaurant in Gangdong-gu.”

He turned his head slowly to look at you, “That’s across town,” he stated.

“I know,” you said softly, already feeling guilty,  “It’s okay. I don’t actually need it. I’m just having the usual dumb cravings.”

Jungkook was already sitting up.

“Jungkook,” you called out to him to stop him.

He pushed the blankets off, reached for his phone, and checked the time, “They close at 4 AM. I have time,” he said.

Your mouth fell open, “You’re not serious.”

He stood there, already pulling on sweatpants, “Did you want the regular one or the one with extra cocoa powder?”

You stared at him, stunned, “You’re insane.” “Yes,” he agreed calmly, grabbing his wallet, “go back to sleep.”

You grabbed his wrist, “Jungkook. It’s the middle of the night, you don’t have to.”

He leaned down and kissed your forehead, “This is the first time you woke me up because you wanted something,” he said, “that means this is important.”

“That’s not how cravings work,” you mumbled. “That’s how I work,” Jungkook replied. 

He was gone before you could argue further.

You didn’t sleep. You laid there, half amused, half emotional, just staring at the ceiling while your baby moved lazily inside you like she approved of this entire situation.

Almost an hour later, you could hear the faint sound of the entrance door of the penthouse opening. You heard Jungkook kick his shoes off, the soft rustle of a paper bag, then his footsteps approaching the bedroom.

Once inside the bedroom, Jungkook set the box on your nightstand, “I can’t believe there were still people there,” he said in amusement, “I bought three of every flavor they have left; original, matcha, and oreo, just in case.”

You sat up slowly, blinking at the familiar logo on the box, “You actually went.”

He nodded, “There was no traffic.”

You laughed, then you felt your eyes tearing up. Jungkook froze instantly, “Hey, hey, why are you crying?”

“This is stupid,” you sniffed, “you drove across town at three in the morning for tiramisu.”

He sat on the edge of the bed, opened the box carefully, and picked up a fork, “It’s not stupid,” he said, scooping a perfect bite and holding it out to you, “Eat.”

You obeyed, and it was perfect, exactly what you wanted, and exactly what you needed.

Jungkook watched you take another bite, then murmured quietly, almost to himself, “If this is what it takes to keep you both happy,” he said, “I’ll do it every night.”

You reached for his hand, squeezing it gently, “You’re going to regret saying that.”

He didn’t hesitate before saying, “No, I won’t.”

♡━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━♡

The final month of pregnancy was brutal in ways you didn’t expect.

Your back ached constantly, you couldn’t find a comfortable position to sleep, your ankles were swollen, your appetite kept on changing between starving and nonexistent, and your baby kept on kicking like they were in training for a combat sport.

And Jungkook watched every wince like it physically hurt him.

“Are you okay?” “Tired?” “Should I call the doctor?” “Sit. Don’t stand.” “No, I’ll carry you.” “No, you’re not lifting that.” “No, you’re not walking alone.”

It would’ve annoyed you if he weren’t so sincere about it.

At 33 weeks, he banned you from going to work, and your boss agreed before you could argue.

Jungkook was waiting outside the office that day, he didn’t tell you he would be there. He just stood by the car, hands in pockets, waiting for you.

When you approached, he opened the door, helped you in, and before you could argue with him about how you could’ve gone home by yourself, Jungkook said, “Don’t argue with me.”

And you didn’t because you were actually exhausted.

At home, he helped you upstairs, he massaged your calves without being asked. He brought you water and propped pillows behind your back. He also adjusted the AC three times until the temperature felt right to you.

Then he sat beside you on the bed, “How are you?” he asked.

You shrugged, “Heavy,” you leaned your head against his shoulder, “we’re weeks away, are you ready?”

“Yes,” he said without hesitation. “Really?” “I’m ready to protect you,” he said, “and I’m ready to protect our child.” “That’s not what I meant,” you responded.

He exhaled, then admitted quietly, “I’m terrified.” “Of what?” “Of not being enough. But I’ll learn,” he said simply before adding, “I always learn quickly.”

You smiled at him, “You will be a good father.”

His jaw flexed, like the words hit him hard. Jungkook kissed your forehead, “When she is here,” he said, “I’ll show you.”

♡━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━♡

You didn’t expect labor to begin quietly.

At 39 weeks, you woke up at 4:27 AM with a pressure so deep it made you exhale in pain. Jungkook was asleep beside you, and you nudged him, “Jungkook.”

He woke up instantly, like a switch being flipped, “What’s wrong?”

“I think it’s starting,” you said. He sat up fully, “Pain?” “Yes, but not too bad.”

He watched you for a fraction of a second, assessing you, before getting up and within one minute, he had your robe ready, your hospital bag over his shoulder, your slippers in his hand, and your medical file in the other. 

Jungkook wasn’t panicking, he was operating in a mode beyond panic, he was laser focused.

The drive was silent, his hand gripping yours tighter every time you inhaled. You didn’t scream or cry, but at the third contraction, you squeezed his hand so tight which made Jungkook drive faster than he already was. 

Jungkook didn’t bother finding a parking spot.

The car stopped directly at the hospital lobby. He was out of the driver’s seat in seconds, already at your side, already helping you into the wheelchair the staff rushed forward with. The car was left where it was, with the keys still inside.

You were escorted through restricted corridors, and straight into a private suite reserved for the Jeon family or the Jeon’s closest friends. 

Jungkook never let go of you, not when the pain came in waves, not when the hours blurred together.

Jungkook stood at your side the entire time, unnaturally still and frighteningly focused, his attention narrowed to you and the life you were bringing into the world.

You gripped Jungkook’s hand again as the contraction hit harder this time.

“I’m here,” he said, “focus on breathing.”

“I am,” you snapped.

“You’re holding your breath.”

You inhaled sharply, “I’m fucking trying.”

“You’re not trying,” he said, “you’re visibly panicking.”

“I am not panicking.”

He tilted his head slightly, “Then why are you shaking?”

You opened your mouth to argue, but another contraction crashed through you, stealing the words from your throat. Your fingers clenched around his hand like it was the only solid thing left in the room, and Jungkook didn’t flinch.

He stepped closer, bringing his forehead gently against yours, “Listen to me,” he said, “in through your nose, and out through your mouth.”

Your breath stuttered, then followed his. “Again,” he murmured, “with me.”

“That’s it,” he said quietly, “you’re doing exactly what you’re supposed to do.”

You let out a shaky breath, your forehead still pressed to his, “I hate this.”

“I know,” he replied without hesitation, “I’m sorry. I’ll be here with you.”

The doctor entered and checked your dilation.

“Six centimeters,” she said, “very fast progression, we’re moving quickly.”

Just right after she left, another contraction hit, longer this time. Jungkook stepped closer, bracing himself against the bedframe, his palm against your back.

“Look at me,” he said, “you’re doing well.”

“I don’t feel like I’m doing well.”

“You are.”

You exhaled shakily, “Can you just not analyze everything for one second?”

He blinked at you, “I’m not analyzing.”

“You’re literally calculating my contractions.”

“That’s not analyzing.”

“That is analyzing.”

Hours passed and it was finally time for labor. 

The pain came in relentless waves and time blurred between contractions, instructions, and breathing you barely remembered how to control.

Jungkook never left your side.

He stood through every hour, steady and unyielding, holding your hand, grounding you when your strength wavered. Somewhere between exhaustion and determination, your body took over.

When it was time to push, Jungkook became all focus and control, he helped you through every second. After one final effort, everything broke open.

Your daughter arrived with a sharp cry and just like that, the pain was replaced by the sound that changed your life forever.

Time finally slowed down for you, you didn’t see her immediately as the nurses were cleaning and checking her.

But you saw Jungkook, his eyes never left you ever since the two of you arrived in the hospital.

His hand tightened around yours, “You did it,” he said quietly, like he needed you to hear it more than anyone else.

And in that moment, before anything or anyone else, you were still the center of his world.

He leaned over you, his hands cupped your face, thumbs brushing away tears you didn’t realise were still there, and then he was kissing you like he was afraid you might disappear if he didn’t keep touching you.

“I’m sorry,” he murmured against your lips, “I’m so sorry.”

You frowned weakly, “For what?”

“For this,” he said, pressing his forehead to yours, “for putting you through it, for letting you be in that much pain.”

“You don’t need to be sorry.”

“I do,” he interrupted softly, “I don’t ever want to see you like that again,” he whispered, “I don’t want to put you in this position ever again, I would take it from you if I could.”

You smiled at him, “I chose this.”

“I know,” he said, as he pulled back just enough to look at you, “you were incredible,” he said, “stronger than anyone I’ve ever seen.”

And in that moment, surrounded by soft cries of your daughter, Jungkook held you like you were the most precious thing in the room. 

Because to him, you will always be the most precious thing.

The nurse walked to the other side of the bed and held up your tiny daughter, “Here is your daughter. Would you like to hold her, mom?”

You nodded, unable to trust your voice. The nurse moved carefully, placing your daughter into your arms, she felt warm and tiny, and her cries softened as she settled against your chest.

You looked down, her fingers curled weakly, her face scrunched in protest at the world she just entered, “Jeon Seoa,” you whispered her name which you and Jungkook have chosen for her.

Jungkook went completely still beside you.

He hovered at first, unsure where to touch, like he was afraid one wrong move would shatter the moment. His hand rested on your shoulder, then slid down to lightly brush your daughter’s back.

“She,” he stopped, “she’s real.” “She is,” you said, tearing up.

“Hi,” he murmured softly to Seoa, like he didn’t want to startle her, “I’m right here.”

“She’s beautiful,” you whispered.

He nodded once, “She is.” “She looks like you.” “No,” he said immediately, “she looks like both of us.” 

“She’s mine,” Jungkook added, “mine to protect, raise, and to keep safe. And you,” he said softly, “are everything I need to do that right.”

He leaned down, kissed your forehead, “rest,” he said, “I’ll take care of you both.”

“Will you hold her?” you whispered.

He hesitated, not because he didn’t want to, but because he wanted it too much. He took her gently from your arms, cradling her against his chest.

She settled instantly, and you saw Jungkook closing his eyes. For the second time in his life, Jungkook looked at peace, like the war inside him had ended the second she took her first breath. The first time he felt this way was when you said “I do”. 

He looked at you again, “I love you and I love her.” You smiled through the tears, “I know, fatherhood suits you,” you whispered.

He shook his head faintly, “No, she suits me, and I’ll spend the rest of my life proving I deserve the both of you.”

♡━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━♡

They came quietly.

Jungkook’s parents and your mother entered the room together, with light footsteps and hushed voices. When they came in, none of them looked towards the bassinet, all three of them looked at you instinctively. 

Your mom was the first to move. She crossed the room without hesitation and took your hands gently in hers, “You did so well, I’m so proud of you.”

Jungkook’s mother stood on your other side, “You were very incredible,” she whispered. Meanwhile Mr. Jeon bowed his head slightly to you, “Thank you,” he said, “for bringing her into the world safely.”

After a while, your mom turned slowly toward the bassinet, “May we see her now?”

You smiled and nodded at them.

Jungkook lifted the baby gently and placed her into your mother’s arms, she cradled Seoa carefully, like something sacred, “Oh,” she exhaled, “she’s beautiful.”

Mrs. Jeon leaned in beside her, tearing up, “She looks just like her mama.” 

Jungkook’s father stepped closer, hands behind his back, eyes softening as he studied the tiny face, “She has strong lungs,” he said quietly, earning a soft laugh from everyone.

Jungkook watched them all, his parents, your mother, his daughter.

And he felt something settled in his chest, he felt certainty. Jungkook knew Jeon Seoa would grow up deeply and fiercely loved.

♡━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━♡

The first weeks blurred in a sleep deprived and time didn't exist way. 

You were discharged after two days. The first night home, the baby cried every 45 minutes. You tried to get up but Jungkook pushed a hand gently but firmly against your shoulder, “I’ll go,” he said.

“You can’t,” you muttered, “you have work.”

“I have a daughter,” he said, already standing up, “work can wait.”

He moved with surprising competence, which was funny, because probably in the first time of his life, the Jeon Jungkook absolutely did not have it figured out. 

The first diaper change took ten minutes, and she peed halfway through and he swore under his breath, then apologized to Seoa like she understood.

“Did you just say sorry to a newborn?” you said, laughing weakly. “Yes,” he said flatly. “She doesn’t know.” “She will,” he adjusted the diaper again, “and I’m not starting our relationship with negligence.”

He brought her back carefully, holding her like she was made of glass. He watched you breastfeed her, his eyebrows furrowed in concentration, “Is it painful?” he asked quietly.

“A little,” you said honestly.

His jaw clenched, “I hate that.”

He tried not to hover, but he did, constantly.

If you shifted, he looked. If you winced, he moved. If you sighed, he asked what was wrong.

You snapped at him once on day four, “Stop watching me,” you muttered, exhausted, sore, hormonal, with a baby crying in your arms, “you’re making me nervous.”

And Jungkook adjusted, like he always did, but this time to your postpartum emotions.

“I didn’t mean it,” you said the next morning, finding him in the nursery halfway through folding tiny clothes. 

He didn’t look surprised, “I know.” “I was tired.” “I know,” he said, nodding. You stepped closer to him, “You’re doing well.”

Jungkook snorted softly, “I’m dropping wipes everywhere.” “You’re still doing well.”

He never believed he would be a good father by instinct, but he took the role the way he took everything in life: he studied, adapted, and executed.

Jungkook watched videos in the middle of the night about burping techniques. He learned how to swaddle tightly enough that she could calm down instantly. He experimented with different rocking rhythms until he found the one that made her eyes close the fastest. Jungkook has also memorized Seoa’s hunger cues, her “I’m overstimulated” cry, and her “I just want contact” whine.

The learning curve was steep, but Jungkook climbed it anyway. God really took his time creating Jeon Jungkook.

One night, around 3 AM, the baby’s cry cut through the room like a siren, you tried to sit up but lost to Jungkook who was already on his feet, “Stay,” Jungkook said.

He picked Seoa up, held her upright, checked her diaper, and mumbled something to her. You watched him walk slowly, with her tiny body tucked under his chin. He was shirtless, his hair was a mess, and his eyes looked tired but focused. He rubbed circles on Seoa’s back and hummed a tune under his breath.

“You look tired,” you said. He glanced at the clock, “She will want to eat in around an hour.”

“You can sleep, that’s my job anyway.” He shook his head, “I’ll hold her for now.” You stared at him, “You don’t have to be awake every time.”

“Yes, I do.” “Why?” Jungkook blinked once at you, “Because you shouldn’t be alone,” he said it like it was obvious.

♡━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━♡

“I’m going back to work in a few months,” you stated.

His eyes flicked to you, “I know.” “Are you okay with that?” you asked.

Jungkook held your gaze and said, “You told me that before we got married, that you would always work and earn your own money. And I didn’t marry you expecting you to change once we have kids.”

You sighed in relief, “Good.” “But we’re not using a nanny,” he added.

You raised an eyebrow, “We might need one.” “We have Taehwan.” You rolled your eyes, “Not the same, I doubt he has the skills to raise a child.”

He frowned at you, “I don’t want a stranger raising her. We can send Taehwan to parenting programs.” “Or we can find someone credible with experience that we can trust,” you argued. “The two of us are good enough.”

You stared at him, “You’re planning to co-parent through sheer willpower with our corporate scheduling?” “Yes,” he said flatly.

“Jungkook.” “We’ll make it work. Taehwan will be reliable, I promise. I’ll enroll him into parenting programs starting tomorrow.”

You knew better than to push then. Instead, you watched what he did over the next few weeks.

Other than enrolling Taehwan into parenting programs where he’ll learn how to raise a child, Jungkook also rearranged his schedule.

He declined unnecessary dinners, he shortened business trips wherever possible, and he had a meeting room next to his office converted into a nursery, so she could be brought in on days you needed to work late.

♡━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━♡

At three months, Seoa started sleeping slightly longer at night. At four months, she laughed for the first time.

Jungkook was the one who made her laugh. He was changing her on the bed, telling Seoa about a plan on expanding the Jeon business to Europe, when she suddenly let out an abrupt giggle.

He went still, and you looked up from your laptop, startled. Jungkook stared at her, “Do it again.”

She didn’t.

He frowned, “You think she did it on purpose?” “She is four months old,” you said, “no one knows what they’re doing at four months old.”

He stared another second then, without warning, leaned down and blew against her neck.

Seoa shrieked and giggled again. Jungkook froze, then did it again and by the fourth attempt, she was laughing uncontrollably.

“What?” he asked when he noticed you staring at him. “You’re ridiculous,” you said. He corrected you, “She likes it.” “You like it.”

He didn’t deny that, either.

At six months, Seoa rolled over. At seven months, she started reaching for him whenever he walked into the room. At eight months, she started babbling more consistently. 

“Say mama,” you tried to teach her one afternoon. She stared at you, drooling on her chin.

“Mama,” you repeated. “Mmm.. ba.”

Jungkook, from the sofa, said, “She said my name.”

You glared at him, “She did not say ‘Jungkook.’”

“She said ‘ba’ That’s clearly short for ‘baba,’ which is me.”

Then one night, around nine months in, it happened.

You were in the nursery, half asleep on the chair while Jungkook finished replying to an email on his phone. Seoa was in her crib, fussing but not fully awake.

Jungkook slid his phone into his pocket and walked over. He leaned against the railing, watching her roll from side to side, eyes squeezed shut.

“Sleep,” he murmured. 

She whined softly.

“Don’t start,” Jungkook said, “your mother is exhausted, I’m exhausted. And you had three naps, that’s more than both of us combined,” he said to Seoa while pointing a finger at you and himself. 

Then, Seoa started crying and kicking her legs in the air. Jungkook reached down, and rubbed her cheeks lightly, “Come on stop crying,” he whispered, “dada is here.”

She rolled to one side, her tiny hand grasping the edge of the crib rail, then, in a small and clear voice, she said, “Dada.”

Jungkook froze like he had been shot, he stared down at Seoa, “Say it again.” She blinked up at him, and said it again, more confident this time, “Dada.”

You stood up slowly, “Did she just?” He turned his head toward you, Jungkook’s eyes were glassy with tears, “She said dada,” he said happily.

You nodded, smiling at him, “She did.”

He reached down and picked Seoa up, holding her against his chest. “Dada,” she mumbled into his shirt.

He closed his eyes, “I’m done,” he said quietly.

“With what?” you asked.

“With pretending anything else matters as much as this,” he said, “everything else is third.” You stepped closer to him, “You know you can’t quit being Jeon Jungkook.”

“I won’t,” he responded, “but I can reorganize everything.” “And what’s at the top of your list?” “You first,” he said, “and Seoa second.”

♡━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━♡

The shift in your marriage wasn’t sudden. It didn’t happen in one moment, instead these changes happened across a series of small choices.

Jungkook took meetings from home more often, your daughter sometimes asleep in a sling against his chest while he discussed expansion strategies like nothing about the way he did it was unusual.

Jungkook has missed an industry gala because Seoa had a fever and he refused to leave her side, sitting by her crib for hours straight while you tried to convince him to rest.

You saw the change most clearly one night, when Seoa is now one year old and asleep in her crib, and you found Jungkook standing in the doorway just watching her.

You walked up beside him, “You okay?” He nodded, “Yes.” “Then what’s with the staring?”

He didn’t look away, “I like confirming she’s real.” You leaned against the frame, “She says dada more than she says mama.” “She should.” “You’re insufferable,” you said, rolling your eyes at him.

You were quiet for a moment before asking, “Do you ever miss the time when it was just us?” you asked.

He thought about it for a few minutes, before finally answering, “I miss certain moments,” he said, “but I don’t want to go back.”

“Why not?”

“Because back then, I thought loving you was the most terrifying thing I’d ever do,” he said, “I didn’t know it was just training.”

“For what?”

He looked at you.

“For this,” he said, “for loving both of you.”

You laughed quietly.

He stepped behind you, slid his arms around your waist, and rested his chin on your shoulder.

“I’m not less intense,” he said, “I’m just more directed.” “Directed where?” you questioned him. “At you,” he said, “at her, and at making sure the two of you never have to be afraid of anything I can control.”

“Do you realize how extreme you sound?” you laughed softly. “Yes.” “And you’re okay with that?” He didn’t hesitate when he answered, “I am your husband, and I am her dad, extremes are part of the job.”

You turned your head, and kissed his cheek.

“Jeon Jungkook,” you said quietly, “you’re doing well.”

He didn’t deflect for once.

He just held you tighter as he kept watching Seoa sleep, and let the world outside the nursery, the Jeon empire, meetings, obligations, expectations, shrink down to the one thing that finally mattered more than any of it:

The tiny girl who calls him, “dada.”

Once again, Jungkook finds himself in a situation where he feels like he needs to apologise to you. 

This time though, he has mixed feelings about it. And those thoughts had to be put on pause for now.

Undoing the silky makeshift blindfold from his girlfriend’s eyes, he gently pulls out of Hyewon, earning a hiss from her. 

He pulled the condom off, tying it at the opening and tossed it in the bin with ease. 

He was tucking himself back in when he heard Hyewon’s shy call, “Kook...” - “Mhm?” Jungkook walked back to her, caressing her hip as she rested in the same position for a few seconds, regaining her composure. 

“I love you…” Hyewon smiles bashfully. 

He hums, smirking at her through the mirror. “I know you do.” 

She giggles then playfully frowns at him. Hyewon always liked to hear it back. 

Words of affirmation was her love language. He liked to have fun with her and withhold it sometimes though. 

Jungkook learnt very early on that Hyewon needed to hear him tell her he loved her. 

By no means was she insecure, but she needed this little thing from him.

At this point in their relationship, it had simply become routine to utter those three magic words. Especially after sex. 

And Jungkook never remembered struggling with that unspoken rule. He was always happy to follow it. 

Until today, that is. 

Although he was able to disguise it as just teasing, the words physically wouldn’t leave his lips. 

Jungkook tugged a few paper towels out of the dispenser and wet it. 

“Stay there,” he directed Hyewon to hold her pose as he squatted to clean her up. 

Pushing her dress back up, he wipes off her slick. 

Hyewon winced at the sensation. 

Jungkook paused, “Sensitive?”

“Cold.” She shook her head, “But it’s fine, I need to use the restroom anyway.”  

He nodded understandingly, continuing to clean her up. 

When he’s done, Hyewon straightens up and limps to the little washroom attached to the powder room. “Babe, you should leave first, I don’t want people suspecting anything.” 

“You sure?” Jungkook asks as he lathers his hands with sandalwood hand soap.

“Yeah, go on. I’ll have to retouch my makeup. It’ll be a while.” Hyewon assures him.

“Alright. I’ve gotta give Joon his tie back anyway.” 

Petrified, Hyewon calls out to him, “Babe!” - “What?” Jungkook’s confused. 

“You can’t return that now! We used it.” Her voice lowers on ‘used.’

Jungkook furrows his brows, “It’s part of his four piece set. He needs to send it to the dry cleaner’s together, Won. It’s no biggie.” 

“Bu-” - Jungkook doesn’t wait for her, “I’m gonna go find Joon now. Don’t take too long!”

Before exiting the room, he stops by the same velvet wall you had clutched. 

You had looked like you were about to burst into tears. 

Had he been too insensitive? Or could you only dish it out but not take it?

In all honesty, Jungkook thought you deserved it. I mean, for fuck’s sake, he’s walked in on you and Namjoon before. And that too in his place of work! And not to mention all the bullshit you pulled earlier just today. 

Shamelessly flirting with him, but then kissing and flirting with Namjoon. 

Not to mention Min Yoongi. Jungkook found it odd for Yoongi and you to get along so soon. 

And for you to call Yoongi ‘Mr. Min?’ 

That did it for him. He understood you were this way with everyone. ‘Mr. Jeon’ wasn’t a little secret nickname for just him. 

Jungkook wasn’t fucking special. He deluded himself into thinking he meant more to you. It pissed him off. He had to get away from you immediately. 

And if that wasn’t enough, you and Yoongi were getting along really well - dancing, clinging on to each other, becoming drinking buddies - it was weird. Neither of you seemed like each other’s types. Nor were either of you that friendly with just anyone. Hyewon’s living proof of it. His girlfriend seemed to want to get closer to you so bad but you were always dismissive of her.

How could he ever think of entertaining you?

So, just like that, he grabbed his girlfriend and fucked off to an empty corner of the hall. 

And the outcome was… you witnessing it. Jungkook would’ve counted it as a win for him had you not looked at him the way you did.

Namjoon had no idea what had gone down in the ten minutes when you walked off to some obscure corner of the hall and returned with tears streaming down your face. You were bawling uncontrollably. 

He couldn't get a word in when you only continuously chant ‘I don't like it.’ 

The man felt utterly guilty for leaving you to fend for yourself half of the night. You were his date after all. 

Witnessing you break down like that, his mind went to the worst places. 

When he’s unable to calm you down with words, he pulls you in a comforting hug, smushing your teary face against his chest. “You’re okay, doll. You’re fine…” Namjoon whispered repeatedly in your ear, rapidly rubbing your back. 

The scene was drawing a lot of attention. No doubt, this would be the second most talked about event at the Eirene this year. Thankfully only half of the crowd stayed so long to have witnessed your crashout.

Seokjin, too, momentarily pulled away from his ‘host duties’ to check up on you. He brought you orange juice and a few pieces of toast in case you needed sobering up. 

After a good few minutes of uncontrollable sobbing and hiccups, you finally settle into Namjoon’s embrace. You still struggled to stabilize your breathing, whimpering from time to time. 

You hate them.

That nasty image was burnt into the back of your eyelids. 

Every time you shut your eyes, you could picture Jungkook ramming into Hyewon from the back. Him smirking at you. It played in your mind in a loop.

You’re fish. Jungkook was dangling bait in front of you, but it felt so out of reach. 

Your drunkenness made it harder for you to control yourself. The only way you could express yourself was through your tears. 

These tears weren’t out of sadness though. 

It was purely frustration. Well, frustration mixed with silly drunken emotions. 

Just when Namjoon and Seokjin walked you back to the table, you spotted Jungkook emerging from the corner, stopping only a few steps away. 

No Hyewon in sight.

This jerk better not try to talk to you. He better not even breathe in your direction. 

“_____, say ahhh.” Seokjin attempts to force-feed you some bread. You scowl at him, eyes still wet with tears. 

No doubt, your entire face was ruined and red now. Certainly not in the way you wanted. 

Jungkook cautiously watched on as Namjoon cleaned your cheeks and nose. 

His heart raced. You were a pretty crier.

When you caught another glimpse of him, you glared hard. 

Oh. Kitty’s got claws.

Though he clearly overestimated you, he still thinks you’re overreacting.

There was another thought swimming around the back of his mind. Have you told them what you saw? And at the off chance you had, how the hell was he going to explain this to anyone? How was he going to explain this to Hyewon? He couldn’t let this affect her negatively.

Lucky for him, you weren’t a gossip, but that’s not why you chose to keep this to yourself. You’d absolutely be up to tattle had you not humiliated yourself by sobbing and breaking down so publicly. 

Obviously, you weren’t about to reveal to people that watching your stupid crush fuck his annoying girlfriend terrorized you to the point of tears. You have a reputation to keep up around here; one that you swore you didn’t care about. 

This would be scandalous for everyone involved. It’d just hurt more people, not that you care about hurting Hyewon or Jungkook. They’d have brought it upon themselves. 

However, you aren’t too proud to admit that you were extremely jealous of Hyewon.

Admitting this to yourself (and to Somin later tonight) is a big step. But you refuse to dig any deeper than that.

ʚ𖹭ɞ

Right around the time you begin to actually lax and reassure Namjoon and Seokjin nothing funny happened to you, Jungkook finally approaches the table.  

Instead of taking his original seat next to you, he saunters to the opposite side. 

Pussy. 

Jungkook would argue he was giving you much needed space. And he didn’t need to rub it in your face anymore by presenting Joon with his tie right now. 

Jungkook discreetly stuffed the silky piece of clothing into his coat pocket as he watched you get coddled by grown men. 

Instinctively, he wants to join in. Technically, he’s the reason you were in this almost inconsolable state. So, it should be him looking after your every need. 

In his defence, he really thought you’d handle it like a champ. Not… reduce into tears. 

Then the guilt begins to set in; the guilt of using his girlfriend to get a reaction out of you, of making you feel this way, of making his hyung worry about you.

It weighed on him, making him doubt all the choices he made in the last twenty minutes.

Should he check on you? Jungkook thinks giving you space would be better for you. And easier for him. 

Just when he was about to leave the table to get a bottle of water, his girlfriend joins him.

Hyewon rests her palm on his shoulder, distracted by the sight of you.

She keeps her eyes on you who looked like you were recovering from something.

She sends Jungkook a questioning look, mouthing ‘What happened?’ to which Jungkook just shook his head. 

Ever so curious, she couldn’t stop herself. “_____, are you okay?” 

When Hyewon’s stupid voice floods your ears, you're instantly taken back to ten minutes ago... When she was a moaning mess under Jungkook. 

Why was this woman out to get you?

You refuse to acknowledge her and pretend not to hear.

Even though she was loud enough that everyone at the table heard her.

So Hyewon tries again, “___-” 

“Oh, my goodness, take a hint!” You snap at Hyewon. 

The table just kind of… stills.

Jungkook looked taken aback.

“Oh,” Hyewon whispers weakly, blinking as though she’s been slapped, looking around at the other patrons to see if anyone saw her get yelled at.

Still, she tries to defend herself, “No, I just wanted to make sure you’re-” - “Can you just not?” You cut her off, having had enough of her ‘concern.’

“You’ve done enough…” You whisper the last part, not loud enough for everyone to hear but Hyewon catches on to it anyway. So does everyone else near you. 

Hyewon’s lips part, ready to ask what that meant, but Jungkook gently catches her wrist on top of the table, whispering something that sounded like ‘let it go.’

Yeah, bitch, listen to your fucking boyfriend. You grind your teeth together at the display.

They’ve got to stop rubbing this in your face. You could probably get that clown kicked off of the face of the Earth if you wanted.

She glances at him, searching his face for answers, then back at you. Finally sighing, she brushes you off, “Okay, I’m sorry.” 

You roll your eyes at the apology. She just has to be the goodie-goodie. Hyewon just has to shove it in everyone's faces that she’s the innocent little fawn who’s getting bullied by the big fat tigress. 

You glare in her direction one last time. 

To her right, you notice Jungkook looking unhappy. There’s a tiny little wrinkle forming on his forehead and he looks like he’s biting at his lip ring. 

Jeon Jungkook was actually pissed off?

At you? 

Please.

You find that really funny. Both literally and… not literally? It genuinely makes you laugh ha-ha that he’s angry at you but also, you aren’t ha-ha laughing because you think he has no right to be mad (and at you of all people.) 

Still, you wanted to fuck the shit out of him.

You are actively fighting thoughts of throwing Hyewon off her chair and mounting her boyfriend. Pushing his face in your ample bosom as you dry hump him in front of the entire hall.

And maybe he’d be as rough as he was with his stupid girlfriend…

Now that broke your lustful daydreaming.

ʚ𖹭ɞ

After an awkward few minutes, Hyewon, throwing on an obviously fake smile, announces to everyone that she and Jungkook were about to call it a night.

Seokjin smiles at Hyewon, attempting to make up for your… unpleasant attitude. “We’re glad you came, Hyewon-ssi.”

She nods, returning the pleasantries.

Then she turns to Namjoon, reaching an arm out, “Good night, Joonie. Congratulations again.”

Namjoon rises halfway from his seat to hug her back, “Thank you, Hyewon. Get some rest, yeah?”

She smiles and nods before facing you. Her smile falters just a little when she sees that you’re still scrolling through your phone. Namjoon nudges you but you refuse to cooperate.

“Right,” She murmurs, mostly to herself.

Tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, she announces again, “We’re gonna say bye to the others.” She directs it at Jungkook. 

“Sure, babe. I’ll be right behind you.” He complies, stuffing his hands in his pockets. 

“Allow me to escort you?” Seokjin offers kindly, making Hyewon swoon.

She had been a little starstruck despite whatever just went down with you. It's not everyday that you got Kim Seokjin's attention.

As Hyewon glides away with your step father, Jungkook waits until they’re out of earshot before fishing something from the pocket of his suit jacket. 

He twirls it loosely around his finger before dropping it on the table in front of you and Namjoon.

“Thought I’d return this now before I forget.” He clears his throat. 

Discreetly, you eye the black object. 

Namjoon frowns, picking it up. “My tie?” 

What the fuck. 

Your neck snaps towards him before you can stop yourself. 

Jungkook’s grin tilts into an infuriatingly smug one. “Yeah. We used the hell out of it. Thanks.”

It takes Namjoon a few seconds to make sense of that admission.

And when he does: “Ugh. Dude…” Namjoon recoils, instantly flopping the tie back on the table. Jungkook just laughs, unbothered. 

Namjoon then looks up at his friend to whine a little but he notices that his gaze was trained on you. Waiting. 

Namjoon turns his head to look at you. You were now staring straight ahead, completely ignoring his friend. You were staring at nothing.

The blank expression painted on your face was obviously forced. Internally, you were seething.

But you don’t give Jungkook the satisfaction of a reaction. Not even a little stink eye or an eye-roll. 

Not like he needed that from you anyway.

You continue to mask all of your seventy emotions with an expression of indifference.

This was all Jeon Jungkook would be getting from you from now onwards. 

He pushes himself up from the table with an exaggerated grunt. “I better go find my girl.”

You dig your shoe into the floor, imagining his chest under it. 

Jungkook lingers at your side for a bit, now tilting his head to gauge your reaction closely. 

When he gets nada, he backs off slowly. “Bye, hyungie.” Jungkook smiles at Namjoon victoriously. “Drive safe.” Namjoon spits in exasperation.

Every bit of guilt and regret Jungkook felt for what he did disappeared into thin air when you lashed out at his girlfriend. 

Jeon Jungkook couldn't believe your candour just now.

Yet it put a lot of things into perspective for him: the power he held over you, your feelings toward his girlfriend, and finally, he now knew exactly what you wanted. And he knew what buttons to push. And he finally knows your limits.

His intuition had always been right. You definitely could handle this; you just didn’t want to. 

A curt ‘_____,’ is the last thing you hear from him before Jungkook goes on to find his stupid girlfriend again. 

Namjoon carefully watches the two of you. 

Huh. 

Slowly, he begins to scratch the surface of what potentially may have gotten you in this mood. Definitely something to do with Hyewon and Jungkook. But what happened?

Sadly for him, you weren’t ever going to talk about it. You never got the whole ‘talking about your feelings’ crap. However, you did rant to Somin on the regular to get shit out of your system. 

If only you could talk Jungkook out of your system too…

Hyewon sits stiff in the passenger seat of her boyfriend’s Bentley, arms crossed, eyes lazily following blurred car lights driving past them. She seems deep in thought. 

Jungkook can sense a little something brewing in her mind. Akin to a few days ago, when you were in a similar position. 

It’s an awkward parallel. 

“Okay,” Jungkook says finally, glancing at her before turning back to the road. “What’s on your mind?”

She scoffs under her breath. “What’s going on with me…” She repeated before groaning into her palms, “Ugh. I don’t know.” 

But he knew.

Jungkook hums lowly in response. “You’ve been sighing the entire ride, babe.”

She inhales sharply, then lets it out, as though admitting this was a huge step. “It’s _____.”

Jungkook’s grip tightens on the steering wheel. Even though he expected it, he feels his heart racing,

“She’s- God, she’s such a bitch sometimes,” Hyewon is uncensored, but she backtracks a little. “I mean, I’m sorry, but does she even realize how fucking unwelcoming she is?” 

Jungkook stays quiet, allowing his girlfriend to throw everything out there. Hyewon was breaking. 

“She got lucky. That’s all that girl ever did. Born in the right place, around the right people. She’s goddamn lazy- no, she has the privilege to be lazy. And she is! She doesn’t have to try. And she gets away with treating people like shit because no one ever calls her out on it.” Hyewon’s voice cracks a little. “If I treated anyone the way she acted towards me, I’d have no friends left.”

She glances at her boyfriend for a second.

Jungkook doesn’t know what to say to that because he had noticed some of that too.

Although you didn’t seem like a total bitch, you had a bratty side. Maybe you were a little blunt too.

Still, he had no clue his girlfriend had such intense feelings about that aspect of your personality. Or she just never let it show. 

“I’ve been trying so hard with her...” She scoffs bitterly, “Trying to be her friend, make her feel included."

Throwing her head back against the seat, she exasperates, "But it’s just fruitless. We were so good all night and just now? All I asked was if she was okay. Why the fuck did she lash out on me?”

Sitting up straight, she shakes her head, explaining, “It’s like, I never know which _____ I’m gonna get, you know? I’m just… I don't know. I'm just- I’m done.” Hyewon whispered the last two words. 

Well fuck.

Jungkook was half-responsible for that. He ignited that fire. 

Reaching over, he brushes his hand on her clothed knee gently, “You don’t need her, Won.”

Hyewon covers his hand with hers, grasping it tightly. 

He sighs, a little unclear about your and Hyewon's relationship. “I thought you guys were friends though.” Or friendly, at least.

Hyewon lets out a hollow laugh, “No…”

Then she recalls, “In fact, she only really started acknowledging me after she saw me with you. Before that, I didn’t exist to her.”

That comes as a shock to him. He fully expected her to have feelings about your behaviour earlier that night but not the rest of it.

Jungkook glances at his girlfriend and back at the road ahead, but his mind flashes back to that night - the first time he was introduced to you and Logan properly.

He’d clocked it instantly.

You were rough around the edges, distant, a little disrespectful too. He hadn’t truly cared. If anything, it intrigued him.

Sure, he ranted about you, but secretly, he’s been curious about you ever since. 

Up to this very moment, he’s still curious about you.

Even after the shit you just pulled, he wants to dig deep into you. Every possible implication of that sentence was applicable.

Suddenly, your (overall) conduct with him and his girlfriend made sense to him.

You weren’t friends.

Hyewon was as good as some random woman to you. 

“I feel like she’s never liked me,” Hyewon says, more quietly now. “And honestly, I don’t even know why I keep fucking trying with her.”

“Then don’t,” Jungkook offers bluntly. “You don’t have to go out of your way to appease her. Why try to befriend her at all?” 

She whips her head toward him, eyes narrowing, “So it’s my fault she’s a cunt to me?”

“What? No!” Jungkook stumbles over the words, heat creeping up his neck. “I didn’t-” - He clears his throat, “That’s not what I meant. I’m just saying you don’t owe her any kindness she hasn’t shown you.”

He doesn’t blame her. After all, he too gets your appeal.

Hyewon quiets down for a moment. She turns her gaze back to the road. 

Then she says, sounding defeated, “She likes you, though.” 

Jungkook nearly swerves into the divider. “Hm?”

Yet he’s glad he decided to drive instead of being chauffeured. He doesn’t think he could look his girlfriend in the eye and have this discussion about you.

“_____ likes you.” She repeated, as if she was jealous of Jungkook. 

And maybe she was, a little. 

Hyewon looks at him incredulously. “Babe. _____ clearly likes you. She wants to hang out with you and Joon. She engages with you. She doesn’t give a shit about me, whom she met first, but with you and Namjoon? Even Yoongi and Seowoo! Seowoo?” Hyewon gestures loosely, “Totally different person.”

His heart is, once again, pounding too loud in his chest. “Is that… bad?” He asked, referring to her first claim.

She thinks for a second before sighing.

“No…” Hyewon admits.

Letting out a short, bitter laugh, she admits, “I thought I could take advantage of it. You know, worm my way into her little world through you. But she clearly doesn’t… want that.”

Jungkook feels the guilt like a punch in the neck.

Once again, he thinks about how he had noticed your attitude towards Hyewon. He even brought it up with her. But, he never addressed it with you like he should’ve. 

Instead, he flirted with you, touched you, dreamt of you, fantasized about you, crossed every fucking line with you except for actually, officially, crossing the line with you.

Even now, your pretty, teary, flushed face is permanently embedded in the back of his mind. 

Jungkook doesn’t have a plan but he asks anyway. “Do you want me to talk to her?” It’s instinctual for him to want to help Hyewon. 

Hyewon’s reply comes just as fast, “No! God, can you imagine that? I don’t need daddy to fight my battles for me.” 

He glances sideways at her, a pierced brow lifting.

She finally cracks a small smile, “Shut up. You’re fifteen.” Jungkook throws a hand up in defence and maybe slight confusion. They weren’t that kind of couple.

“I said nothing.” Jungkook feels a little victorious to have been able to slightly lighten the mood.

“But now that I think about it,” Hyewon’s smile fades just as quickly, “I… kinda don’t want you talking to her at all.”

“What?”

“I know, I know,” Hyewon rushes. “I’m not trying to be that girl. It’s not like I don’t want you to have female friends. You know I’m not like that. It’s just…”

“I know,” Jungkook nods along.

Hyewon groans and exhales, clearly frustrated, “It’s just her. _____. She’s been so fucking weird with me, I just… I don’t want her to have the satisfaction of being close to you.” At latest not before she herself has that pleasure.

Jungkook blinks, surprised.

“Man, I feel like I’m in high school again.” Hyewon lets out another helpless laugh, “I only had one friend who’d defend me from those rich, mean girls. I’m just so tired of feeling like I don’t belong.” She shakes her head, “Ugh, babe, don’t listen to me. I’m just tired and emotional now…”

Jungkook watched on sympathetically, “Won…” He was familiar with Hyewon’s past experiences with those classmates.

As much as he understood it, he couldn’t relate to it entirely. He never had it quite as bad as Hyewon. Male privilege and what not.

Stupidly, Jungkook indulges her insecurities, playing the supportive boyfriend role well. “It’s okay, Won. It-” He sighs, practically forcing the next few words out. “It’s not as if I’m that close with _____. Joon is. It might get awkward. But, if this is what you need from me, then so be it.” 

He’s just shooting himself in the foot at this point. 

“Gaah, I don’t know! You’re sweet, baby.” Hyewon runs her hand through his hair. “God. Why does some random woman have such a strong hold on me?” 

Jungkook doesn’t say it but it echoes in his head: you and me, both.

Just in time, he turns into his street. 

Desperate to move on to another topic, Hyewon forces a weird smile, “Remember when Jiah tried to hit on you all night? And then you blatantly ignored her the entire time and then made out with me in front of her?” 

That was oddly specific. How could he not remember? 

“I remember…” Jungkook blinked, a little confused. They were now parked in Jungkook’s garage.

She reaches over him to push his seat back. “I’m just reminiscing.” Hyewon smiles at her boyfriend before leaning in to kiss him. 

Jungkook can’t help but wonder if she wanted him to read between the lines.

It takes you almost a week to (partially) recover from that day.

It wasn’t really about what you saw that night, it was what you did after you saw it.

Namjoon dropped you home and offered to stay. You refused because you weren’t in the mood for anything funny, or anything at all.

The first thing you did after walking through the threshold of your room was dump those flowers in your fireplace.

You only felt a tiny bit bad for it. Those flowers did nothing to you, but you hated who they came from and what it now signified. You didn’t want to keep apology flowers from fucking Kang Hyewon.

Otherwise, they'd have driven you nuts, just sitting on your bedside table.

Not a day had gone by when you didn’t excessively obsess over every reactive thing you did (that you could remember) that night.

Logan wasn't allowed to utter the words 'gala' or 'night' around you.

The one thing you did not regret was putting Hyewon in her place for overstepping your boundaries.

You aren’t sure whether or not it got through to her, but you aren't afraid of reminding her of it if you had to. 

But, when it comes to Jeon Jungkook… 

You fought the urge to look at news articles about him and needless to say, any photos or clips from the gala too.

Even your own! It was so unlike you to not find cute photos for your Instagram.

You’d been sent countless of them by all your friends (and Seokjin) but you don’t even want to acknowledge you were ever there. At least not yet.

Speaking of Seokjin; he had really surprised you.

He didn’t go running to mommy and tattle on you (so you assume since your mother never sent you paragraphs about your family’s legacy and image.)

Vague accounts of your outburst made its way to some snark subreddits but apart from that--- nothing major.

You suspect either Logan or Seokjin to have meddled. Either way, you’re grateful. 

Even after all that effort of nothing ever making it to the big news channels or any remotely reputable online magazines, word of your little temper tantrum still got out in the office building and some social circles (through word of mouth, i.e gossip) but that was expected.

You have no way of confirming but it was most probably one of Hyewon’s little friends.

You just had to continue to keep a low profile, as you do normally.

Logan had graciously moved some things around and allowed you to work from home for a few (3) days after you sobbed to him about the incident. 

Those three days flew by faster than you were ready.

Thursday morning comes for your throat.

You desperately wanted to skip some more but Logan demanded that you make an appearance at work. It was about time you returned. 

The night before, you had the most vivid dream where you and Hyewon reversed roles.

But it wasn’t the kind of dream you’re thinking about. You were literally in her shoes, going to a new office, doing lawyer stuff you didn’t understand. And you tanked. 

This is the mindset you woke up in: simply filled with dread.

You hope everyone goes easy on you. 

Sua had checked on you which was sweet. You ranted to her about the gala in a conference call with Somin and Soobin, just not about what you saw though. That info was reserved for Somin only. 

Apart from Sua, Namjoon and Yoongi had also called to check in. 

Yoongi just gave you shit for acting like the typical Scarlet Hills socialite he thought you were. He really was a meanie panini. 

And Namjoon… got the complete inside scoop from Jungkook before he ever tried with you, so you could not not talk to him.

While your first instinct was to ignore Namjoon, Yoongi gave you more shit for that, so, yeah, you spilled the beans for them. Not all your beans but enough.

It's so fun to be friends with men! Really! 

No, but on a more serious note, Yoongi sorta kinda turned out to be the yin to your yang.

He didn’t always give in to you (like Jungkook had done so many times in the past.) For example, he proposed a friendly date. While you agreed, the only place you were willing to meet Yoongi at was this vegan Indian restaurant an hour away from town. Yoongi opposed it a lot. And somehow, he tricked you into joining him at some stupid country club under the guise of ‘picking up his golf bag.’ And he made you drive! 

That was when you realised; you and Yoongi would not work romantically.

You needed a sucker like Mr. Jeon to cater to your every need. 

Not that that was your goal or anything. You still only want to fuck him and dump him. That’s all.

But that didn’t mean you didn’t have a little fun with the cat-faced man. :p

If anyone’s curious, you’ve discovered that Yoongi’s really good with his mouth. He almost made you cum from only sucking and nibbling on your tits. Almost.

But you haven’t gone beyond that. You don't even know why.

At this point, you fully believe you’re cursed by the sex gods. 

To solve this little mishap, you came to the most obvious conclusion. Since two negatives make a positive, you proposed a threesome with Namjoon and Yoongi. One that they both rejected. 

They really needed to be inside your head to understand your logic.

It’d been MONTHS since a man made you orgasm. Doing it yourself just doesn’t feel the same. Believe it or not, you love the concept of giving up control during sex just for the thrills. You just can’t do that alone.

All this sex talk right before work was really killing your mood.

When you finally returned to the office, you were surprised by how… normal it all was.

Nobody stared or whispered about you. The world hadn’t ended because you’d cried and then snapped at a little bitch at a gala.

It was business as usual. You went on coffee runs for the office, updated everyone’s calendars, made survey forms for your coworkers as per Logan’s orders, etcetera etcetera. 

If at all anyone was gossiping about you, they were at least decent enough to wait until you left the room. But according to Sua, nobody actually gave a shit anymore. Especially not the people in your office. They had come to know you and were already sort of endeared by you at this point, which was good to hear and a much needed ego-boost.

It’d be a blatant lie to say you weren’t a little worried about all of this. 

Besides it wasn’t until lunchtime that you actually felt the slightest bit panicked. 

You had to go down to J, K & K to see Joon.

Well, you didn’t have to do anything but the more you put this off, the worse your anxiety would get.

Also, he invited you. He had something to ask you. You were dying to know what the hell that was all about. He wouldn't answer your texts or calls either. He went to Yoongi school of manipulation.

So, you just had to suck it up and take your ass over there.

The anxiety stemmed from not having been around Jungkook in a while and the fact that he must know you've deliberately been trying to keep away from him, along with rumours.

Dare you say, you were a tiny bit embarrassed about it all. 

But you know what? Enough of that. 

Returning to work wasn't as humiliating as you had built it up to be.

Adjusting the straps of your heels, you strutted down to Namjoon’s office.

And you told yourself you weren’t about to look for him. 

You pace around in the elevator a little.

Then it dinged.

And the elevator doors opened.

Directly to the one person you were hoping not to run into. 

His hair looked slightly out of place, like he had just run his hands through it.

But that’s not the thing you’re focused on.

There was something on his body you hadn't ever imagined to see. It isn’t, like, something absolutely bonkers. It’s so normal. But not on Jeon Jungkook. 

Glasses.

On him. Face. 

But without wasting any more precious seconds, you flip your hair back and glide past him into the office, leaving behind a trail of your sweet scent. 

Jungkook was dumbfounded.

So much so that the elevator he had been waiting for left without him in it.

Maybe he would’ve done something about the way you just… dismissed him had he not made important shopping plans with his other gir- his girlfriend. 

You had only gotten one look at the man, yet you had every. single. detail. stuck in your head: his magenta tie, the grey coat hanging off his arm, his lip and brow piercings, the glasses… Oh, the glasses!

You didn’t know he needed them. You didn’t know you needed that.

They made him look maddeningly mature. Normally, that would turn you off but he just looked even hotter. 

Very briefly, you pictured yourself stealing them, wearing them yourself as you rode his cock in his office chair. You let out a shaky sigh. 

You were not built for crushing on unavailable men.

Then Namjoon’s voice broke your train of thought, “There you are, I was about to come looking for you.”

You tightly smile at him and slip into his office, not trusting yourself to speak just yet.

ʚ𖹭ɞ

Long story short, you’re going to a little retreat on a private island, courtesy of Namjoon’s father.

Initially, you weren’t part of the plan.

It was supposed to be just the winners of the Eirene, Seowoo and Hyewon by extension. But Yoongi’s assistant had to back out at the last minute because… well, you hadn’t paid attention to the reason.

The point was that they had room.

So, naturally, Namjoon invited you.

Since you’d been cooped up in your apartment all week, working from home and (unintentionally or not) avoiding people since the gala incident, he figured a few days away from the city might do you some good.

Maybe give you and Jungkook a fresh start.

However, when he mentioned the idea to Jungkook, it didn’t exactly go smoothly. Jungkook’s reaction was… less than enthusiastic?

“Why though?” He’d complained immediately, brows furrowed. “What’s the point of bringing her?”

Namjoon had rolled his eyes, “She’s my friend. And she could really use a break.”

“Do you like her?” Jungkook had pressed, half-serious, half-mocking. “Because if you’re interested in dating her, maybe take her somewhere else. On your own time.”

Hyewon had been the one to intervene, hugging Jungkook’s arm to calm him. “Kook, relax. It might actually be good for everyone. You, me, her. Maybe it’ll help… smooth things over.” 

Translation: This is yet another opportunity for her to get to know you. Fuck whatever she felt or said about you.

With that, the decision was made.

Namjoon promised you that you wouldn’t have to spend more than a dinner or two around the lovebirds anyway.

You tried to wriggle out of it, claiming that Logan would never approve of you skipping out on work again, but Namjoon had a solution ready: “We’re all working, _____. We’ll leave after office hours,” He’d said matter-of-factly.

You gave it a thought.

Namjoon went on talking up the island.

You hummed, already picturing the gorgeous tan lines you’d wear after said retreat.

You weren’t entirely convinced, however, the idea of a natural tan, and maybe collecting seashells for your next art project, sounded good enough to sway you.

Because it’d be more meaningful if you found the shells yourself instead of order them off Amazon or an overpriced Etsy shop.

Of course, the fact that Jungkook would be there was…. not the reason, obviously. But a nice little bonus. Emphasis on ‘little.’

The next day, Namjoon came by your office just as you were wrapping things up for the day.

He waited, leaning against the doorframe, refusing to come in and help you finish because he knew that would take way longer.

After finishing off your final task, you reapplied your gloss and cleaned up any traces of tiredness.

“Ready to go?” Joon finally looks up from his phone.

You nodded once.

After saying goodbye to Logan - who gave you a pointed look that said be good - you followed Namjoon down to the parking lot.

You made him carry all of your luggage; two silver, hard shelled suitcases, one smaller than the other.

One contained all your toiletries and shoes, and the other packed your clothes and makeup. You had stayed up all night, washing and steaming your outfits.

Most of them didn't even make the cut.

You even chose more comfortable shoes today: platform, peep toed heels.

Your steps slowed when you spotted them.

Hyewon, standing near the back of the vehicle, chatting softly with someone you didn't recognise. And you could see Jungkook was already seated inside. 

“Please tell me we’re not driving together…” You muttered to Namjoon under your breath. 

He only hushed you. “It’s Kook’s car. And it’ll only be a forty-minute ride. You’ll survive.”

Forty minutes? You had no idea what kind of island existed forty minutes away, but okay.

When you neared the vehicle, you greeted Hyewon with a strained smile, which she returned sweetly. 

“Need help with that?” Hyeown pointed at the little bags by your feet. You dumbly nod.

Whatever, she’s a better woman than you, blah blah. 

She smiled at you once again before helping you load the suitcases in the trunk.

‘Helping’ was generous. She basically did it for you while you watched. 

The car, you noticed, was a cherry red Jeep. Not exactly the vehicle you’d ever imagined Jungkook in. He struck you more as a sleek black coupe type of dude.

Cherry red was more your thing though.

You’d have liked to take the front passenger seat, but you assumed Hyewon had dibs on it.

So, you climbed into the back. Only to have Hyewon follow you in. 

Great!

Whatever.

You pressed yourself against the window silently, determined not to look at Jungkook or acknowledge him at all.

That’s how you spent the first thirty minutes of the ride.

You had to listen to Hyewon yap about something or the other. About her mom, Jungkook’s mom, their family trip together, just relationship stuff.

She kept trying to ask you about your mother and Seokjin too. You assume it was in hopes of getting more intel on your family situation. But you couldn’t be bothered to give her more than a ‘I haven’t seen them all week.’ 

You were told Yoongi was already waiting at the resort.

You text him asking him to claim a good room for you but he wasn’t a good sport. He insisted all the rooms were ‘good.’

Boring.

Another thirty minutes passed and traffic had brought the car to a crawl.

Forty minutes, my ass.

Both Namjoon and Hyewon had dozed off, leaving you in near-silence with only the sound of Hyewon’s boring Spotify playlist blaring through the speakers lowly.

It only consisted of Taylor Swift’s last two albums. Or so you assume. They all sounded the fucking same to you. Like, are we kidding? You’d rather eat Hyewon’s shoe.

You’re kicking yourself for not charging your devices well. 

You were dangerously close to passing out too but resisted.

You could sleep once you got to the place; on a comfy bed after a nice hot shower.

Shifting restlessly in your seat, you adjust your neck, trying to find a comfortable angle to rest in.

Jungkook’s eyes flicked toward you in the rearview mirror once.

Twice.

Then once again.

Finally, without saying a word, he reached over and held something out toward you.

A forest green neck pillow.

You stared at it, blinking.

He sighed. “Just take it. All that moving around is distracting.”

You glared at him, curling your lips into a childish pout.

He rolled his eyes and pushed the pillow further back at you until you reluctantly accepted it. 

The moment your fingers sank into the plush memory foam, your resolve cracked. Memory foam. Your favourite.

You looped it around your neck, muttering a quiet thanks he probably didn’t hear. You barely even heard it yourself. 

The pillow even smelt like him. It was oud-y and musky. It made you squeeze your thighs together. 

Fuck me.

Why did Jeon Jungkook have to be hot?

You glanced at him once. He didn’t have his hot glasses anymore. Hm…

The memory of a specs-clad Jungkook would suffice for now, you think.

You sank back against the seat, staring out the window.

Thankfully, Jungkook switched Hyewon’s playlist to something he thought you’d enjoy: J-Hope’s latest singles. 

And he’s right again.

When the car finally rolled to a stop, you blinked away the haze of near-sleep and looked out the window - only to frown.

You were at an ominous location. You could smell that ocean air, but you couldn't figure out where you were.

You straightened up a little, “Where are we?” You were already wary.

Namjoon only smiled, that kind of weird ‘trust me’ smile that only made you not trust him. “You’ll see.”

Carefully, you followed the group out, heels clicking softly against the ground until the realization hit you. 

You were nearing a helipad.

That makes you stop dead in your tracks. “Namjoon, no.”

Namjoon grinned, glancing back, “_____, yes.” He continued on towards the ground staff.

Ugh, this idiot thinks you’re thrilled.

“No, Namjoon. You didn’t say anything about a helicopter.” You end with an unexpected whine. 

Meanwhile, Hyewon was clutching Jungkook’s arm dramatically, squealing something about being scared too. “You’ll hold my hand, right?”

Jungkook smiled, tucking her closer. “I’ll hold it the whole way.”

Eugh. 

Yeah, no. You’re going home. 

“Joon…” You begin to build up your case but he doesn’t let you finish. 

“Doll, it’s a very short ride.” He reassures. Hyewon jumps in too, “Yeah, _____, it’ll be fine! If we go down, we all go down together.” She giggled. 

?!

Does she think she’s being funny? What is there to laugh about falling seven thousand feet to your death?

You make a strange face at her and her boyfriend who was leading her to the pick-up spot.

Just the idea of flying in a tin can with blades is… not fun. You’d like to live, please, thank you.

Namjoon turned 180 degrees, making his way back to you to drag you along to the front with him.

And he had to literally drag your weight because you’d forced yourself to go limp in his grasp.

Finally, he just decides to throw you over his shoulders making you yelp in horror. “Come on, drama queen.”

You flail around a little, watching Jungkook’s car get smaller and smaller.

When it's only a little red dot, you give up. 

 Then you hear a new voice.

“Hi, I’m Ivy. I’ll be flying you today.”

A female pilot.

For some reason, that helped settle your tummy.

Namjoon clumsily placed you back on your feet. You stumble a little but Jungkook holds you up.

You dramatically dust yourself off where he touched you. 

He scoffed. Brat.

Ivy smiled warmly at you specifically, “It’ll only be twenty minutes, I promise. The weather’s perfect. It’s so comfortable up there even you could easily take a cat nap.”

You believe her. You nodded slowly.

Okay. Maybe you weren’t gonna die.

Even a person you've never met before can see how worried you were.

You unclenched your fist. 

Some of the ground staff was loading your bags into a compartment on the side of the helicopter. Everyone was traveling light so it was all well under the weight limit. 

Ivy lets you choose your seat first. You chose the middle one so you wouldn’t have to stare at the world below you. 

Even though Hyewon was whining about being afraid, she goes for a window seat, so does Namjoon. 

That left Jungkook only one choice: pressed to your side for twenty whole minutes. Plus the few minutes it takes for the safety instructions to be explained and getting buckled in. 

You were all given headsets to communicate better. You skipped out on it because it’d have messed up your hair.

You swear you heard Jungkook scoff at you again. 

Take-off was the most daunting part.

When you heard the blades whirling faster, you instinctively reached out to grab Namjoon’s arm. He hissed under his breath. 

A few minutes in, you still held a death grip on his arm.

He just laughed softly, prying your fingers off. “Jesus, you’re cutting off my circulation.” 

You couldn’t hear shit because you chose to forego the headphones.

So you just frown at him and cross your arms like a petulant child. But it wasn’t comfortable to keep knocking your elbows into the two gigantic boulders sitting on either of your sides.

If this was anywhere else, you’d have been very satisfied. But four thousand feet off the ground? Over an ocean?

Nuh uh. 

You then press your palms to your exposed knees, holding onto them instead. It was a tad more comfy.

Jungkook’s watching you through the periphery. He realises you’re genuinely scared. 

He gazes at Hyewon whose eyes were glued to the window. She occasionally smacked his boyfriend’s thigh to show him whatever she was marveling at: migratory birds flying alongside them, a random skyscraper, a horse? Everything.

She contrasted you who were staring down at your lap.

Your hair fell over your face, barring your vision from accidentally catching glimpses of the environment around you.

Your knuckles were turning white around your knees.

With a deep sigh, Jungkook placed his large, tattooed hand over both of yours. You jump. It scares the shit out of you.

Only for a second though. 

You lax a bit and peek at him through your hair.

He’s looking at you.

With his free hand, he places the headphones over your ears and you let him. 

In your defence, you were… still processing.

You also learn that the headphones did more than just allow everyone to speak to each other. They were also noise cancelling.

And you don’t want to admit it but you felt a lot better this way. 

You blush a deep shade of red as you feel his heavy hand rub yours. You felt his fingers brush against your bare knees, making you squeeze your thighs together involuntarily.

…

You never wanted the ride to end.

By all means, screw that fucker, but Jungkook comforting you through a scary helicopter ride even after you’ve been rather unkind to him is… admirable.

Internally, you groan, wishing you had packed your new thrusting, rabbit vibrator.

The landing was smooth enough to make you feel stupid for ever doubting Ivy’s flying skills but not enough to make you feel neutral these kill machines. You still very much hated them.

Wobbly legged, you stumbled out after Jungkook.

This time, he doesn’t catch you.

Just like that, your brief admiration for him ended right there.

Jerk.

You vowed you’d never let Namjoon trick you into bullshit like this ever again.

By the helipad, two golf carts waited to take you to the resort.

You climbed into one with Namjoon, Hyewon, and Jungkook while your suitcases were loaded onto the other.

The ride was short and breezy. Even a little healing.

The cool night island air hits your face from all directions and the scent of salt and flowers curl in through the open sides; it’d put anyone in a good mood.

The villa, well, resort, technically- it was stunning. 

Thank you, Mr. Kim.

It was a Tuscan style villa with creamy stone walls, cobblestone walkways lined with beautiful flower bearing bushes and warm amber lighting that made everything look and feel like it was the early 2000s. 

Like any typical resort, staff members greeted you at the entrance, handing out chilled towels and colourful welcome drinks.

You accepted both, immediately taking a long sip from your orange and pink drink. Yum, yum. 

As you were being led inside, someone began explaining the amenities; a quick list of spa treatments, private cabanas, infinity pools, yadda yadda, but your brain only half-registered any of it.

Until one particular phrase caught your attention.

“…and we have a two-Michelin-star pastry chef visiting us for the weekend.”

Ooh, bingo.

You knew exactly what your plans for the night were: a warm bubble bath, maybe a quick nap, and then room service from that dessert menu that you just know is about to be scrumptious, as you watch Gilmore Girls for, like, the eleventh time.

You almost moan out loud, thinking about all the tiramisu you’re about to gobble.

As everyone slowly began dispersing toward the suites, you felt a presence behind you. Then a light arm slipped around your waist from the side, startling you.

You peer at the figure. “Yoongi?” You blinked.

He grinned lazily, doing the same to Namjoon who stood beside you, before moving on to greet Hyewon and Jungkook with a similar warmth. He seems a bit dazed.

“Just came to say hi,” He pointed to your left with his chin, “In case I don’t see you guys later tonight…”

You all follow his gaze which lands on a gorgeous woman in a tiny black dress. She smiles and waves.

Ohhhh. Cute! You giggle and wave back at her. 

Yoongi was tipsy. 

“Ah, I see why you were in such a hurry,” Namjoon teased. Yoongi just shrugged. 

Before you could even comment, Hyewon clapped her hands together. “Okay! Since we’re all in a hurry right now,” Nobody’s in a hurry for anything… “You’re all invited to our suite in exactly two hours. We’re hosting a casual dinner! Yoongi, you can bring your date!” 

Jungkook nodded along as she spoke, with his arm looped around her shoulders.

Namjoon smiled politely. Even Yoongi gave her a little thumbs up in agreement.

Crickets.

As the silence stretched for a second too long, you realized they were all looking at you.

Oh, they wanted an answer this instant.

You blinked. “Oh. I’m okay. I think I’ll just sleep.”

Hyewon’s smile faltered for a second, barely noticeable, but you still caught it. As did everyone else. 

Still, she rallied fast. “Oh! That’s totally fine. Feel better, okay?”

Okay?

You scrunched your brows in confusion. “Ok...”

You could tell she didn’t want to believe you’d turned her down for no reason. It was easier for her to assume you were unwell than to accept you just didn’t want to go.

Namjoon shot you a vague ‘I’m disappointed in you’ look. Jungkook’s sported more of a… frown? Like you'd kicked his dog or something. Well, you suppose you kinda did. 

Okay then. Can't please everyone now, can ya?

Not wasting a moment longer, you smile. “Good night!” You chirp and follow one of the concierges down a hallway toward your room. Your luggage follows you. 

ʚ𖹭ɞ

As soon as the door clicked shut behind you, you exhaled, rolling your shoulders back. 

Why the hell was this your fault again? You toss your handbag on the floor. 

You don’t understand why Hyewon wants to play host when everything is paid for by Namjoon’s dad. You aren’t trying to be… bitchy? A snob? Whatever the word is, you weren’t it. Your confusion is genuine. She ‘expected’ everyone in her and Jungkook’s suite for dinner. 

Sucks to be her because you have big plans to pig out in your little room tonight. 

After that hell of a car ride? Having to sit with the couple, forced to listen to their vacation plans for December. Renting a ski chalet with Jungkook’s family. Super original. And who plans trips more than half a year ahead? 

And then the godforsaken chopper- you don’t even want to think about it and accidentally relive it. 

You’d rather be able to pick your own dinner rather than force yourself to eat whatever crap Hyewon selected.

I mean, she never asked you if you had any allergies or for anyone’s preferences. You can’t eat gluten this week. Or corn, because it sucks. 

It’s better than showing up and being rude to the host (because of the host’s own neglectfulness.) 

There’s zero reason for you to feel bad about it. It’s not as if all their efforts will go to waste if one person skips. The others were still going to be there to enjoy it and praise her.

Ugh. You groan before peeling your clothes off your body. You slip into the bathrobe provided by the Brando. Mm, soft. 

You call room service to set up a relaxing, much needed bath for yourself.

While it gets ready for you, you facetime Somin.

You reiterate your plans for the night to her. To nobody’s surprise, she supports your right to stay in rather than show up at Hyewon and Jungkook’s.

You end up staying on call with her (briefly adding Logan later,) all night long while still doing everything else you planned to.

The next morning, Jungkook spots you strutting into the restaurant in Prada SS 2009 heels and an itsy bitsy striped bikini top and skirt with something that looks an awful lot like a Hannah Montana beach towel lazily draped over you.

You only threw the towel on because the restaurant wouldn’t let you in without a cover-up. It didn’t do much covering anyway which was just the way you liked it. 

With his eyes glued to your body, Jungkook didn’t even notice Yoongi in pursuit. 

Hyewon was still explaining to the waitress how she wanted her guacamole prepared, too occupied to notice whatever was going on there. 

You and Yoongi were the last ones there. 

Since Namjoon was off snorkeling with the dolphins or whatever, it was just the four of you. 

You were preparing to skip out on this breakfast date but Yoongi came barging into your room and threatened you to show up because Namjoon put him on _____ responsibility.

It’d have been rude to bail a second time.

Not that you care. You sincerely could not be bothered about how Hyewon felt.

You’d like to point out once again that she was not the host, and nor was she the person whose invite you accepted. Namjoon was. 

Anyway, Yoongi ate you out: first, through your panties for five whole minutes before discarding them completely, then he only cleaned you up with his tongue. He hadn’t let you finish.

Instead, he held your orgasm over your head and made you attend breakfast. 

What were you gonna do? Say no? You tried but he was very persuasive.

“Oh, hello!” Hyewon cheerfully greeted you and Yoongi.

Her eyes flitted over to Yoongi’s arm behind your lower back. He was helping you into your chair. “Oh, when did this happen?” 

You followed her gaze, looking down at yourself, and then blinked up at her. “When did what happen?”

“Thiiiss,” she said with a teasing little grin, gesturing between you and Yoongi. “I just didn’t know you two were close. You were with Namjoon before.” 

Yoongi hummed, “We’ve become close over the week.” He thought nothing of it. But you knew what was brewing in her head. It’s always about relationships with this woman.

Hyewon’s eyes widened slightly at his tone. She looked back at Jungkook who was now fully focused on your conversation too.

They hadn’t necessarily heard Yoongi speak of anyone like that before. And since you're a woman and he’s a man and men can never be friends with women, they were understandably taken aback. Note the sarcasm.

Hyewon laughed delicately, a little in disbelief, “Wow, really?” Then she goes on to say, “Oh, my god, this reminds me-” She waves her hands around to express her disagreement, “-you know, I’ve always detested that term: homie hopper.” She uses air quotes.

Yoongi and Jungkook’s eyes snap to Hyewon. 

Hyewon cringes. “It’s such an unnecessary misogynistic term. Like, people can do whatever they want.” 

Then why bring it up in the first place? 

You almost laugh in her face because of how bad she was at shading people. Though, that didn’t stop you from feeling a bit of discomfort because everyone at the table understood what she was hinting at.

As much as you’d like to say you weren’t hurt, it stung a tiny bit. Which was crazy because you never cared what most people thought of you, let alone someone like Hyewon, whom you don’t even have a real opinion on. 

Jungkook’s brow raised, still processing the words that just exited his girlfriend’s mouth. 

On the other hand, Yoongi was quick with his defense. “Why say it then?” His tone wasn’t accusatory or sharp, but he feigned confusion. 

“I wasn’t, I mean, I didn’t mean it in that way. God, I’d never.” Hyewon explained smoothly. 

Yoongi wasn’t having it, “We’re not stupid, Hyewon.” He copied her nonchalant tone.

Before Hyewon could respond, her boyfriend jumps in, “Yah, let’s not go there? It’s nine in the morning.” It was directed towards Yoongi.

Yoongi? 

Hyewon’s the one who started it. But ok, Yoongi shouldn’t go there. 

Fuck that. You frown at him before picking out a menu to peruse through.

“She did not mean anything by it.” Jungkook looked at his girlfriend to confirm. “Right?” His hand slipped under the table--- you just knew it was to squeeze Hyewon’s thigh. 

Ew...

“Of course not! I was only sharing an opinion!” Hyewon rushed to reassure her boyfriend.

She looks at you with this shocked look. You don’t know how to describe it.

“I am so sorry it came out that way.” It was as if she suddenly regretted trying to drag you. Or pretended to. 

When you don’t acknowledge her, she reaches out to grab your hand, “_____, I’m sorry. Let’s just start over?” 

If she doesn’t let go of you in the next five seconds, she is about to be wearing her breakfast eggs on her head.

“I don’t care,” you smile awkwardly, “We’re fine.” 

Maybe Hyewon was still upset that you rejected her for dinner the night before. And maybe this was her way of showing it or lashing out. 

An awkward silence ensued after.

You then placed an order for a breakfast tiramisu and an espresso martini. Not even Yoongi interfered with your unhealthy choices. 

It wasn’t until Jungkook decided to break the ice (mainly addressing Yoongi and Hyewon) that things went back to somewhat normal.

You didn’t engage too much in any of their conversations.

Jungkook took note of it. He’d occasionally look your way, and you don’t know if it was to get you to join in or simply to admire.

You had half a mind to unwrap your purple towel and really give him something to look at, momentarily forgetting that you were supposed to be mad at him. 

Little things like this never bothered you before. So many of your past dates have pulled these tricks to get you to feel or act on jealousy. But it never worked. You weren’t the type of person who felt possessive over people nor the type to hold grudges. 

Until Jungkook, maybe? 

You’ve had hours to contemplate if your feelings were even worth entertaining.

It was silly to be mad at Jungkook. He was only teasing. You have half-forgiven him.

That’s a concept you’d like to introduce: choosing forgiveness until he ruins it for you with any more of his shenanigans. 

Your heart felt lighter when you came to this conclusion with yourself. 

Somin thought you needed to slow down on your attempts with Jungkook, refrain from acting out and getting rage-baited by him. And you agreed.

Besides, it takes a lot of effort to be mad at someone. But you can’t help feeling a tad annoyed by the couple sitting across from you with all their… together-ness. 

Around twenty excruciating minutes later, you and Yoongi excused yourself to go get a dry massage session before you sunbathed. 

Hyewon invited you to a private couples yoga class she had pre-booked for herself and Jungkook.

It wouldn't have been private with you and Yoongi there though.

While you had time, you did not care for it.

Yoga was a regular thing for you, so it wasn’t as if you’d learn something new. If anything, you’d be forced to watch Jungkook stretch Hyewon out for a second time.

And you didn’t like the way she proposed it either: ‘Oh! You don’t seem to have anything special planned then? Come join us!’

Getting a little massage and sunbathing weren’t ‘plans?’ Fuck that. 

Thankfully, Yoongi politely declined before you could protest. He also paid before Jungkook could.

This restaurant wasn’t part of the resort so breakfast wasn’t paid for in advance. Jungkook had called for the bill but, like, Yoongi sniped and gave the waitress his card before she could accept Jungkook’s. And you found that pretty hot.

Jungkook thought yoga was supposed to be relaxing and soothing, something you practiced to get your mind off things.

Yet, in the silence, he couldn’t stop wondering about you and his hyung.

He absolutely didn’t deem Min Yoongi to be your kind of guy in general, let alone something more. But after seeing him dancing with you the other night and after Hyewon’s inquisitiveness, he doubts his own intuition.

It was none of his business but he didn’t love the idea of you and Yoongi. Even Namjoon seemed a more likely option. 

Either way, he didn't plan on driving himself nuts over your (possible) dating life.

The yoga class was held under a white canopy by the villa, facing the sea.

The instructor, Ria, spoke in a soft and measured tone, gracefully demonstrating each pose. As expected, Jungkook and Hyewon were the ideal students. 

Then, when they get more comfortable between poses, Ria goes off to bring a sound healing instrument.

Then Jungkook suddenly lets out an exhale. “Won, what was that earlier?”

Hyewon looks over questioningly, mid–warrior pose. “What was....?”

“At breakfast.” He straightens, fixing his sweats a little. “The thing you said about _____.”

Hyewon’s face tightens briefly. “It wasn’t about her. I mean-” She sighs, adjusting herself. “It came out wrong. I just opened my mouth before I thought. I feel horrible, okay?”

He hopes she’s being truthful. Jungkook just nods along. “It didn’t sound great.”

“Jungkook, I know,” she says, voice a little strained now. “I mean I even apologised right then. Why are you bringing it up now?”

“Alright, alright. I just wanted to clear it up.” Jungkook backs off. Then he adds, “Yo- we should probably just… leave her alone for now.”

Hyewon doesn’t understand what he meant by that but she chooses to stay quiet, ignoring his suggestion.

There’s an awkward silence when Ria returns and calls for the next pose - downward dog.

Hyewon turns away from her boyfriend, getting into position, focusing on the sounds of the wind chimes and the soothing music instead.

However, as the session goes on, the atmosphere subtly shifts.

Hyewon’s focus wavers. She didn’t love the fact that her own boyfriend questioned her motives in your defense. She suddenly momentarily hated the fact that you tagged along, contrary to how she had felt when she first found this out. 

Jungkook doesn’t really notice the shift in his girlfriend’s mood, too busy getting the yoga right. He doesn’t try to engage her how he had tried with you earlier today. (Yeah, she noticed.)

And understandably so, Hyewon hates that even more.

Meanwhile at the spa, you and Yoongi were led into separate adjoining rooms for your dry massages.

The rooms smelt like essential oils and smoky sage.

It looked like a typical Thai spa, nothing outstanding but it was beautiful regardless.

There was a koi pond at the entrance too. You wish you had brought your phone along to show Somin to give her ideas for her indoor pond. Somin had one in her backyard but the birds kept stealing the poor fishies. She would get new ones but the birds kept returning. Soon she realised that she was feeding the birds that way. Ever since, she has been looking for inspo to build a little pond in her living room instead. 

The massage was as relaxing as you expected. No oils or lotions were used; it was a dry massage because you didn’t want to get cooked in the sun later.

Your masseuse wouldn’t stop complimenting your soft skin. You assumed she was fishing for tips but she wouldn’t accept any when you tried.

So, yay. :) It doesn’t take too much to make you happy. 

You hoped to remain uplifted all day today. Or at least until dinner when you’d have to see Hyewon and Jungkook again. 

After your massage, you find Yoongi waiting for you by the sun deck. He was staring into the endless ocean.

The sun made him look almost translucent.

He looked too serene to disturb but you were in a rush. “I’m still a bit hazy from the massage, and I wanna keep feeling so I can nap on that beach!!” With that, you run off to the beach.

Yoongi stays on the deck for a few minutes before heading back to the villas from where he grabs your phone, a tube of sunscreen, and two books to pass time with. 

When he gets to the beach, he sees you’ve already set yourself up on a lounge chair, basking in the warm sunlight.  

An employee had installed an umbrella for Yoongi. 

“Need sunscreen?” He asks, already reaching for the tube before you can answer. You squeak in assent, sprawling out on the chair for him. He kneels beside you, squeezing a generous amount into his palm. The lotion feels cool against your warm skin. 

Yoongi spreads it slowly, over your shoulders, your tummy, the tops of your thighs and your legs. “How do you walk on sand with those heels? Flip.” - “Hm? Oh…” You look at your feet before turning over for him, “I dunno, I just do.” 

Uh, you weren’t about to take your shoes off to lie on a chair - they’re part of your outfit. And last time you checked, this wasn’t a nude beach. I mean, it was a private one so you could probably get away with some nudity but you’ve been really into tan lines lately. So, you know. The bikini stays on.

Also, you doubt the employees would be pleased if you tried.

Yoongi massages the cream deeply into your skin.

He begins to help himself before you could offer to do it for him, so you don’t bother. 

You stay on your stomach, resting your cheek on the back of your palm, leaving your hair cascading down your back.

You hear the roar of the ocean and the screeching of the seagulls. There weren’t too many of those there though. You could maintain your peace.

You sigh dreamily.

A few minutes of silence prompt you to check on Yoongi. 

He was settled in next to you with a fat book on… music therapy? 

Huh. 

You turn the other way and close your eyes, breathing in the fresh, salty ocean air.

It’s peaceful.

For the first time probably all week, you’re content to just exist. Just you, the warm sun, the cool wind, and the sounds of the water. And Yoongi.

Perhaps Namjoon was onto something bringing you here.

ʚ𖹭ɞ

The next time you open your eyes, you see a blond lying on the chair to your left: “Oh,” a familiar voice exclaims, “You’re up!” 

You squint a little, and there’s Namjoon, reclined on the seat. His hair was still damp and slicked back and his sunglasses were perched low on his nose. And he’s already got a beautiful tan on. 

Still sleepy, you mumble. “How long have you been sitting there?” 

He shrugs, “A little less than an hour.” 

Damn. You'd been knocked out for a while.

You glance to your right. Yoongi was on to a new book now. “Oh… Should’ve woken me…”

There was a slight imprint of your own hand on your face. It was a good nap.

“I tried.” Namjoon snorted, “Snorkeling was amazing. You should’ve come.” 

“Was it?” You ask, flipping on your back and stretching your arms over your head.

“Yeah. There was this one dolphin that kept following me - probably because I dropped my snorkel multiple times,” he laughs. “Embarrassing as hell, but so worth it.” 

He was way too chill about losing important equipment more than once… “Good for you.” You hum, blinking against the light, “At least one of us is having fun.” 

You put your palm out, asking Joon for his sunglasses. He obliges. 

“Yeah, okay. You woke up at the perfect time though.”

“I did?”

“Yep.” He sits up, brushing some sand off his shorts. “Next activity’s at one.” 

You ogle his thighs for a few seconds. “Define activity…” 

Namjoon opens his mouth to answer but then decides against it: “It’s a surprise.” 

Dramatically shaking your head, you whine, “Nuh uh, no more of those.” 

“You’ll have fun, I promise.” Namjoon pulls you off your resting place. 

You let out a faint ‘Noooo’ before complying with his requests. 

Namjoon knew you’d take a while to dress up so he sent you off early. Knowing how much the group enjoyed drinking, he had booked a little mixology class. Initially it was supposed to be just the three of you but during dinner last night, it turned into a group activity. 

And maybe this would help you bond with Hyewon and… well, he hopes you wouldn’t ‘bond’ with Jungkook any more than you have currently. For Hyewon’s sake.

All this while, Namjoon had been confident that Jungkook wouldn’t pay you any heed and he had been proven wrong.

In his opinion, Hyewon and Jungkook belonged together.

It’s not that he doesn’t like you. He loves you. But he doesn’t love you for his buddy. He thinks you would stomp on Jungkook’s heart with your sexy little stilettos and crush it.

He could just talk to you and ask you to back away but it’s a bit too late for that anyway.

That being said, he still hopes you and Jungkook are able to build a friendship. If not now, sometime in the future.

It was nearing one in the afternoon by the time you finally emerged from your room - ten minutes later than Namjoon’s text had instructed, but who was counting? 

You’d taken your sweet time getting dolled-up, abandoning your bikini for a mini slip dress with black lace detailing along the neckline. It paired beautifully with your diamond necklace (all lab grown because you’re not a monster.) 

What took long was the hair. You worked your hair into waves and added little braids here and there. Like at the night of the gala. 

Namjoon had only told you to change into something comfortable for an ‘activity.’ No further hints.

You were hoping it wasn’t anything involving hiking, sand, or god forbid, group sports.

The sun was high and hot, you doubt it was any of those options anyway.

You followed the winding stone path down toward the villa deck, where Namjoon’s text had told you to meet him.

You spotted Joon first, leaning leisurely against a railing in a linen shirt and khakis, with a different pair of sunglasses perched on his head.

Yoongi stood beside him, holding a glass of something brown and on the rocks. 

They were discussing the layout of the place and how inconvenient it must be for employees on this island to travel from work to home. 

“About time,” Yoongi said, glancing at you as you carefully stumble onto the deck in your ladybug kitten heels.

“You boys are lucky I showed up at all.” You shot back, and his mouth twitched in a half smile.

Namjoon stepped forward, clapping his hands once. “Alright, now that we’re all here…” He gestured to the open-air setup behind him: a long wooden counter stood in a corner, shaded by palm fronds. Shakers were stacked neatly atop it along with bowls of citrus, berries and jars of other edibles, bottles of liquor, and rows of gleaming glasses. “…Surprise.”

You froze for half a second before letting out a delighted squeak. “A mixology sesh?”

Namjoon grinned. “You’ve mentioned wanting to try it before, so…” 

He listens to you! 

“Ooh, oh, my God,” You’re practically bouncing in place, “I’m so excited!” 

Right then, a figure exited a gorgeous little shed nearby and introduced themselves as the instructor, Kyle.

Then Kyle began running through the basics. “We’ll start by prepping some ingredients, washing and cutting fruit, muddling herbs, that sort of thing. Then we’ll get into building flavor profiles.” 

You weren’t too keen on the grunt work but if the end result is a drunk _____, you’re doing ittt.

You, Namjoon, and Yoongi each gave your introductions in turn before diving into the setup.

Kyle handed you and Joon some of the citrus fruits and a grater and asked you to zest them into separate bowls. 

Yoongi, being more experienced with knives, was asked to slice the fruits into thin wedges for the plating.

Everything was going just fine. 

And then- 

“Oh, you guys started without us?”

You froze mid-smile. 

Turning, you saw Hyewon approaching, one arm looping through Jungkook’s. They both looked freshly showered and far too put-together for a lazy beach afternoon (as did you.) 

Hyewon was in a coral halter sundress, hair glossy and tied with a silk scarf. Jungkook wore a Hawaiian button-down with the sleeves rolled to the elbows and exposing his tats. His sunglasses were hooked in the center of his shirt and his capri shorts were... weirdly hot.

Your heart did something stupid at the sight of him. His hair was a tad tousled by the wind. You almost want to reach out and fix it. 

Namjoon straightened a little, smiling welcomingly. “Hey, you guys made it.”

Hyewon smiled, “Yeah! We were gonna go snorkeling because you made it sound so good but we figured we could just do that tomorrow.”

We, we, we. Blegh.

You forced a polite little smile, trying not to show the flicker of irritation. Or the heat that rose to your cheeks when Jungkook’s eyes flicked to you before dropping to your bare shoulder where one of your straps had slipped off of. Then to your hands that daintily grasped the half peeled lime, and then down to your legs.

“Alright!” Kyle smiled brightly at the couple, “You guys ready to catch up?”

They both nodded. Hyewon offered an apologetic smile while Jungkook looked only mildly interested.

“Great! Since your friends have already started…” Kyle gestured at the small array of half-prepped fruits, bottles, and herbs on the long wooden counter, “I’ll give you two some tasks too.” 

He points at Hyewon, “You can help wash and prep the berries.” Then turning to Jungkook, “You can take over the herbs. You’re going to use that muddler and gently press it down on the herbs. Make sure to bruise, not murder them.” 

Jungkook already disliked Kyle. 

As everyone settled into their given roles, Kyle began to talk about mixing alcohols.

The do’s, the don’t’s, what kind of alcohol mixes with what liquid, different flavour profiles, hot and cold drinks, and so much more that you’re sure you won’t remember after today. 

Then, Kyle began demonstrating mixing colours.

You actually found yourself fascinated, leaning a little closer as they poured a splash of liqueur into a shaker and swirled it to show contrast.

Kyle had everyone taste different types of liqueurs. Though they controlled the portion, you and Yoongi snuck some extra shots in.

But you spat bitter whiskey into a paper towel. You never understood how anyone could enjoy this.

After your fourth shot of vanilla vodka, you were beginning to... feel things.

“Now,” Kyle clapped his hands once, smiling mischievously, “time for something fun. I’ve got a little game for you all. It’ll be a test of your creativity and teamwork.”

Yoongi groaned, already sensing some shit-stirring.

These were grown adults with full-time jobs, they didn’t need any more intrapersonal skill assessments. 

“I’m gonna divide you into two teams,” Kyle continued, “Each group gets twenty minutes to create an original cocktail. You’ll present it to me, I’ll taste both, and we’ll have a winner.”

Before anyone could voice their opinion, Kyle was already dividing you up, “Yoongi and Namjoon are Team One.”

Now Yoongi’s face lit up in glee. It took you a bit longer to register though.

That meant…. 

“_____, Hyewon and the hot one whose name I cannot remember,” Kyle winked, “You’re Team Two.” 

You exhaled sharply through your nose, turning back to the counter.

The tension was palpable. 

Jungkook stood on one side of Hyewon, cutting ice cubes down to little cubes. And you stood on the other, minding your own beeswax.

You have no clue what Hyewon was doing either.

You didn’t bother communicating your idea to the couple. You just started building it.

A sparkling, glittery pink drink with hints of passionfruit and raspberry. The fizz comes from champagne and tonic, and the glitter is a dusting of white edible shimmer you’d found in one of the tiny jars Kyle had set out.

You crushed some berries, mixed them in with the wine and drained the liquid. You ignored whatever conversation was happening beside you.

It wasn’t until you reached for the pink passionfruit that things went sideways. You were trying to cut it up into tinier pieces to mush together with the raspberries for a deeper tint with lesser berry flavour.

Jungkook narrows in on you reaching out for the sharpest knife designed to cut ice - you were about to pick it up by the damn blade.

You were totally distracted, staring at the pink pigment stained on your other fingers.

Jungkook nearly lunges over his girlfriend. His hand shoots out to grab your wrist and knock the knife away from your palm before you could cut yourself.

Hyewon shuffled backwards, startled, as her boyfriend grabs hold of you.

The tool clattered to the ground.

You were still staring at your pink fingertips.

What just happened? 

“You can’t be picking up knives by the sharp end, _____.” Jungkook scolded you.

The entire deck was now watching on in curiosity. Employees and all.

You pout at him, still a little dazed, “Geez, okay…” 

Jungkook exhaled, rubbing a hand down his face. Then, quieter, “Just- tell me what you want to do. I’ll do it.”

You hesitated, but eventually pointed at the fruit. “I want to cut it into smaller pieces to mash.” 

“And?” Jungkook was already on it. 

You hum rubbing up and down your arm, “Mmm, mix it with tonic and white wine and strain it. Add a little sweetener, then glitter…” 

Hyewon smiled, suddenly jumping in, “I’ll mash and strain then!” 

Ok, so this was going to be a group activity now.

You happily pass the little muddler off to her. You wanted to be on glitter duty anyway.

Jungkook passed on the little cubes to Hyewon who mashed them. Then she stirs it in with the two liquids, as per your direction.

Finally, you dust in a good amount of the shimmery powder and stir before equally pouring the concoction into six different glasses.

Hyewon even sliced a little piece of a tangerine to stick on the rims of each glass. It looked pretty cute.

When the drinks were done, Kyle went around tasting each. They gave feedback on everything. 

Finally, Yoongi and Namjoon’s smokey citrussy drink won. But that was expected since Yoongi knew a lot about alcohol and drinking anyway. 

Kyle lingered by your side, swirling a glass of the _____ (that’s what you called your drink) in their hand. “This,” they said, admiring the shimmer under the sun, “is fun. Needs a little more acidity, but the presentation is gorgeous.”

Yay! You smiled, ducking your head shyly. “Thanks.” 

Jungkook, standing behind you, watched the way you bit back your grin. You tried not to look too pleased. And for some reason, it made something tighten in his chest. 

It’s so easy to make you happy. So easy to want to.

Kyle clapped once more. “Alright, mixologists, you’ve earned a break. There’s a beautiful picnic set up for you on the beach. Follow me, allons-y!”

They led you down the wooden path towards the sand. 

You walked ahead with Yoongi, talking about how much you loved your sparkly drink idea.

When Yoongi tells you to turn it into a business plan, you immediately lose interest in discussing your drink with him.

Why did men do that? 

Behind you, Jungkook fell back beside Namjoon, lowering his voice so only his hyung could hear, “Listen,” He cleared his throat. “I booked a yacht for tomorrow to get back to the city.”

Namjoon frowned. He had checked for yachts the day before but none were available for a few weeks now. Plus, he discovered a helicopter to be faster and, surprisingly, cheaper. The port was farther away than the helipad. And with a chopper, they could directly land on top of their office building if they wanted.

“How come?” Namjoon chose to ask before hounding him with all this info. 

Wasn't it apparent?

“She’s terrified of flying, man.” Jungkook said it as if it was the most obvious response. 

Namjoon blinked, following Jungkook’s gaze up ahead - stopping on you as you walked barefoot beside Yoongi, violently shaking your head at something Yoongi said. 

Huh. Maybe Namjoon’s better off not meddling.

next: killah (jjk) [9]

note: firstly, everything i wrote for the mixology class scene is from my own head. i did not feel like researching anything so i just made stuff up. if anything is accurate, it's a coincidence. still, pleek don't attempt to recreate anything from that scene irl

secondly, slut shaming of any of the characters will not be tolerated! be normal ok

finally, these two months are going to be super busy for me (shocker ik.) sooo, if you ask me for an update anytime before december 30, i won't be able to give you any answers 😖

You knew from the first wedding planning meeting that a “small wedding” was an illusion. 

The Jeon name alone outweighed your preferences, and the press would find a way in even if you married in a storage closet. But still, you tried to propose a small wedding.

Or at least, a smaller one.

“No more than a hundred people,” you told the wedding coordinator in charge, Yeon, who is also Mr. Jeon and Mrs. Jeon’s head of housekeeper.

Apparently she is basically your in-laws' right hand woman when it comes to events, or anything related to the house. It wasn't really surprising, especially knowing Yeon even has a master’s degree in hospitality. 

Yeon couldn’t even hide her reaction when you told her you wanted a wedding with only a hundred people. Her apple pen hovered mid air, “Miss, the Jeon Group has eight subsidiaries in South Korea alone, we have not counted the one overseas, and each subsidiary has a board, and each board has-”

“I know,” you cut her off, “just please try to keep it minimal.”

Mr. and Mrs. Jeon completely gave you the green light to do what you want, but after talking more with Jungkook, Taehwan, and Yeon, you now realise it’s not just a normal wedding.

It’s the wedding of the only son and the only heir of the Jeon empire. It’s the wedding of the richest family in South Korea, and almost all of Asia. It’s almost like the wedding of the century. 

A small wedding you wanted became seven hundred people. 

And that was after Jungkook reduced the guest list by half, ignoring every complaint Yeon and Taehwan said he might receive from people who thought their presence was essential. You watched him do it with the same precision you imagined he used in boardrooms, Jungkook was calm, unbothered, and decisive.

Now, standing behind the closed double doors of the grand hall, the scale of everything still hits you, even though both you and Jungkook were hands on in planning the wedding.

You’ve seen these double doors, you’ve seen the grand hall, and you’ve tasted the cakes, catering, and drinks. 

Yet today, on the day you will be getting married to the Jeon Jungkook, everything you’ve tried before feels completely new. 

You were getting married in the ballroom of Jeon Group’s 7-star hotel. 

A ceiling sparkling with custom chandeliers, imported flowers were arranged into a full floral tunnel, and seven hundred chairs with each filled with people whose last names carried more wealth than you could ever imagine.

And all of that meant nothing when your mom tightened her grip on your arm, “You’re breathing too fast,” she murmured, “slow down, don’t panic. You’ll be okay.”

You exhaled through your nose and nodded. 

Your mom looked at you softly, she wasn’t present almost most of your life, but you knew it wasn’t by choice. She did try to find you the best she could, and the past doesn’t matter.

Especially when she has been showing up every second of your life ever since you met her for the first time.

What matters is now.

And now she is here, standing next to you, and walking you towards something you never thought you would have.

“You don’t have to go out there if you’re too overwhelmed,” she said quietly.

You looked down at the ring Jungkook had slipped on your finger in the car, when he proposed to you without any speech. A memory that grounded you more than this grand hall ever could.

“I want to,” you said.

Your mother squeezed your hand once, “Good, then let’s go.”

The doors opened and the sounds of the crowd dropped into a hush and seven hundred heads turned to look at you as you stepped forward. 

Jungkook was standing at the altar, and the sight of him erased everything else around you.

He wore a perfectly tailored suit, his posture was straight and composed, as always. But the second he saw you, something snapped loose inside him.

He smiled.

He smiled so wide you could tell it stunned the room. 

A couple of guests shifted on their seats, whispering as if they just spotted a myth.

Jeon Jungkook did not smile like that. 

Not at galas, interviews, or at business conferences.

His public expression was famously known as cold and untouchable, he would only smile when he needed to, and the smile he gave to the public was never genuine.

But right now, his smile was unmistakably genuine, and directed solely at you.

Your steps faltered for half a second, not from nerves, but from how sharply the moment hit.

And then you saw his parents.

His mother’s eyes softened instantly. His father’s face broke into a quiet and proud smile.

They didn’t look shocked by their son’s expression, they looked relieved and grateful. As if they had waited years to see someone pull warmth out of Jungkook. As if your presence proved that he would finally have a life they wanted him to have.

They were happy to know that their son, Jungkook, would never be spending the rest of his life alone.

You kept walking towards the altar.

Every step made Jungkook’s smile widen, a rare sight he didn’t bother to hide. 

He didn’t blink or avert his gaze. 

To everyone else, he remained the intimidating face of generational power and wealth. To you, he looked like he has been waiting his entire life for this exact version of you.

For this exact moment of the both of you.

When you reached the altar, your mother kissed your cheek, and whispered, “Be happy,” to the both of you, before placing your hand into his.

Jungkook’s fingers closed around yours immediately, as he nodded towards your mom.

“You’re here,” he said, “and you look ethereal,” he continued, complimenting you under his breath.

You shyly smiled at him before raising your eyebrows, “Did you think I would change my mind?”

“No,” Jungkook replied confidently, “you’re not the type to run from anything.”

The officiant began the ceremony, but Jungkook didn’t look away, not even once. 

He watched you like he was memorizing this exact moment in his mind, every breath, every shift, and every flicker of emotion on your face.

When it was time for the vows, Jungkook moved slightly closer.

“Jeon Jungkook,” the officiant began, “do you,”

“I do,” he answered immediately before the officiant could even finish the question.

You could hear a few guests laughing softly.

You tilted your head, “Shouldn’t you hear the rest of the question?”

“I don’t need him to finish, I would be honored to be your husband,” Jungkook replied, earning a few “aww” from the crowd. 

When the officiant repeated the line with your name, you answered without hesitation, “I do.”

Jungkook’s shoulders eased in an exhale he didn’t bother hiding.

The rings came next. Jungkook’s hands didn’t shake, but yours did slightly. And the officiant said the final line, “I now pronounce you husband and wife!”

Jungkook didn’t wait for permission that he may kiss you now, and he pulled you in closer to him. But he didn’t kiss you immediately, either.

First, he leaned in, pressed his forehead against yours, “Finally,” he murmured. Then, after that, he kissed you, and the crowd erupted into applause.

When you pulled back, Jungkook’s face was still inches away from yours when he said, “You’re mine.”

“And you’re mine,” you replied.

His parents smiled at the sight of the two of you.

Relieved and proud, because their son, the one who lived inside an armor his whole life with walls built up so high, was finally home with you. 

♡━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━♡

The reception was still formal and huge, but it felt warmer somehow. You stood beside Jungkook as friends, colleagues, distant cousins, directors, and business partners approached with respectful and rehearsed congratulatory lines. Jungkook responded politely, but with visible impatience each time someone lingered too long.

Halfway through the guest, he leaned slightly closer, “You look tired.”

You scoffed softly, “There are seven hundred people here.”

“And you’ve looked at none of them.”

You lifted your eyes to his, “Have you?”

“No, I only have eyes for you,” he answered matter of factly, his gaze didn’t waver and he added, “Let’s step outside.”

You didn’t want to argue with him because you did need the space to breathe.

The two of you slipped through a side corridor. Jungkook opened a door leading to a balcony overlooking the city.

You exhaled once you stepped outside to the balcony.

He watched you quietly for a moment, “Is it all too much?”

“It’s a lot,” you admitted, “but it’s not bad.”

“You handled it well.”

“You did too.”

He stepped closer, still looking at you, “I know you wanted something smaller.”

You looked up at him, “I knew this couldn’t be small.”

“There was a way to make it smaller,” he said, “I didn’t want it.”

You were taken aback, you thought a person as private as Jungkook would want to make it smaller, “Why?”

“So everyone sees who I married,” Jungkook said, his eyes not leaving yours.

You let out a small laugh, “You don’t have to prove anything to anyone.”

“I know, I’m not trying to prove anything,” Jungkook added, “I’m establishing it.”

♡━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━♡

You never stopped working after the wedding. That was the first boundary you set, one you made very clear even before you agreed to marry Jungkook.

You told him you would never be a full-time housewife, not because there was anything wrong with it, but because you had spent too many years building yourself back up from nothing. 

And Jungkook never argued, he never even hesitated. If anything, he expected it from you.

So when your contract at the startup ended, you moved into the Jeon business. The Jeon tried to tell you to just accept a position as a director, but you refused because you weren’t experienced enough to become one and you told them you wanted to do it on your own. 

So you applied, you went through every stage, from initial screening, panel interview, case assignment, and final interview. When the recruiter tried to fast-track you, you politely declined. 

You weren’t interested in being boosted into a high position you didn’t deserve.

So you entered Jeon Retail as a junior associate. The pay was good, the pace was brutal, and the expectations were high. You kept your head down for a year, did the work, delivered the numbers, and handled the pressure well. 

Then they promoted you to a senior role, one you clearly deserved and you were proud of it.

Jungkook was too. You could tell by the way he checked your reports sometimes, not to interfere, but because he liked knowing what you were working on. You used to catch him reading through your project decks in the evenings, impressed by your quality of work.

You have now settled into your routine as Mrs. Jeon. You’d wake up, go to work, go back home, and spend time with your husband. It has been a perfect routine for you.

Until today.

You ignored it at first, you thought the uneasiness in your stomach was probably because of the bad breakfast you had. Then, halfway through reviewing a quarterly product performance, a wave of nausea hit so instantly that your hand flew to your mouth.

You stood up quickly, it made a loud enough sound that Kei, your coworker, at the next desk looked up.

“Are you okay?” she asked.

“Yeah, I just need some air,” you said as you walked straight to the restroom and you just barely made it to the stall before you threw up.

It could have been food poisoning, stress, or just fatigue.

But you knew what it could be.

It has been a year of not preventing anything, a year of waiting for nothing to happen, and a year of telling yourself not to be disappointed.

You decided to clock out for lunch, grabbed your coat, and walked out of the building without telling anyone where you were going.

There was a convenience store just right across the street, the one you would buy your snacks for work from. You stepped inside quickly, headed down to the aisle, grabbed the test, paid without looking at the cashier, and walked back to the office with the small bag hidden under your blazer.

Once inside your office building, you went straight to the restroom again, locked the door, sat on the toilet seat, and forced yourself to calm down.

You didn’t want to be disappointed again. It has been a year since your marriage and nothing since then has happened. 

Then you took the test, one second passed. Then five. Then ten.

And you saw two clear lines.

You just stared at it.

You stared until your throat tightened and your chest was beating loudly, and your hand came up instinctively to cover your mouth.

A tear slipped down your cheek before you could stop it.

You were so relieved but it hit you so suddenly that your body doesn’t know what to do, how to respond, or how to act.

You stood carefully, splashed water on your face, dried your hands, and walked back to your desk, and your boss spotted you the second you sat down.

She frowned, “You look pale.”

You forced a smile, “I think I'm just tired.”

“You were vomiting earlier,” she cut you off before you could even finish your sentence, “you should go back home.”

You blinked, “Can I really take the rest of the day?”

“Yes,” she said, “go.”

You nodded, gathered your things, and left quickly.

You weren’t going back home, no. You needed to make sure what you saw was real. So you decided to head to a hospital. 

Not to the Jeon hospital, you weren't stupid. If you stepped foot into a Jeon-owned medical center, four things would happen immediately:

Security would notify the administration.

Administration would notify the medical director.

The medical director would notify someone in Jungkook’s team.

Jungkook’s team would notify the Jeon Jungkook himself.

And you wanted him to hear it first from you, not from anyone else.

So you chose a small hospital in Seoul. A small one with no affiliations to the Jeon. Just a quiet clinic where no one looked at your face long enough to recognize it.

The doctor performed the test quickly, then she looked at you with a smile across her face, “Congratulations,” she said, “You’re about five weeks pregnant.”

You left the hospital at around 2:30 PM with the ultrasound image inside your bag. You got in the taxi, leaned your head against the window, and kept your hand on your stomach the entire ride home.

You reached the penthouse around 3:00 PM. The housekeeper wasn’t there, she only came in the mornings, per Jungkook’s preference for privacy.

Everything was quiet, and the master bedroom looked exactly the same as it did when you left that morning.

You walked in with one plan in mind:

You would prepare balloons and maybe a small sign saying, “Welcome home, dad!” 

But the moment you stepped into the room, another wave of nausea hit you so hard you had to grab the back of a chair.

You stumbled to the bathroom, threw up again, then dragged the trash bin to the side of the bed. The doctor said it was normal, but it didn’t feel normal, it felt exhausting.

You didn’t want to call Jungkook.

You knew exactly where he was. He told you he would be in a high-level of importance meeting with his father and all the major directors to finalize their Singapore expansion. It was an important project, one he has spent months preparing for.

He didn’t need you interrupting it, especially not for something he couldn’t fix immediately.

So you called Taehwan instead, “Can you please bring me the vitamins the doctor prescribed me? I’ll send you a picture of the prescription,” you asked.

“Of course,” he answered without asking any further questions, which was perfect since you really didn’t want to have to explain yourself.

You hung up, laid on your bed, and closed your eyes.

♡━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━♡

Jungkook didn’t notice the vibration on his phone until the board director stopped speaking.

Taehwan: Mrs. Jeon is unwell.

Jungkook stood up immediately, and half the room turned to look at him, startled. His father raised an eyebrow at his son, “Jungkook?”

“It’s my wife,” Jungkook said, already gathering his things, “I need to go.”

“What happened with my daughter?” Mr. Jeon asked, everyone could even see even the chairman was worried. 

“She’s sick,” he said whispering to his father, Jungkook didn’t want anyone irrelevant to know. 

His father didn’t question it further, Mr. Jeon lifted a hand dismissively and said, “Go.”

Jungkook didn’t waste another second.

He was furious, not at you, but at the situation.

At the fact that you told Taehwan first and that you probably thought you didn’t want to make Jungkook worried.

He knew why you did it. You didn’t want to interrupt him, or pull him out of work. But he was your husband now, you were and will always be his priority.

The entire drive home, Jungkook’s hands gripped the steering wheel until his knuckles turned white, and his jaw was clenched the whole time.

Taehwan thankfully has already put your medicines in the receptionist of your penthouse building, now Jungkook would know how to help you.

♡━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━♡

You must have drifted off for a few minutes, the nausea made you so tired, and the warmth of the blanket pressed against your body kept you even more sleepy.

Then the bedroom door opened, abruptly, without knocking which surprised you because Taehwan would not dare do such a thing.

You didn’t lift your head, but still called out for him anyway, “Taehwan?”

And when you heard no immediate reply, you looked up slowly.

Jungkook stood there in the doorway, his tie loosened but still not removed, and his hair slightly disheveled like he rushed to be here. 

You sighed, “Damn you, Taehwan.”

His right hand man is so loyal to him, he could never keep anything from Jungkook.

Jungkook ignored the comment completely. He walked inside the master bedroom, his eyes sweeping over the bed, your pale face, and the trash bin beside you, “Have you been throwing up?”

You nodded weakly, “Please give me the meds.”

He didn’t hand them over, instead he tried to get you to get up, “Let’s go to the hospital.”

“No, I’m fine, Jungkook.”

“You’re not.”

“I am.”

“You’re throwing up,” he said, eyes narrowing slightly, “and you look weak, get up.”

You shook your head, “I just need the medicine that Taehwan handed to you.”

He didn’t budge, sit, or blink. He stood there looking at you like he was trying to analyze why you were sick, “Why didn’t you call me?”

You didn’t want to answer.

“Y/N,” Jungkook’s tone sharpened, “Why didn’t you call me?”

You swallowed nervously, “I didn’t want to bother you.”

“You would never bother me,” he answered instantly. 

He stepped closer to the bed, “Next time,” he said, “you call me first, before anyone, including Taehwan, before my parents or your mother. I don’t care where I am or what I’m doing. You have to call me first.”

You looked away, you didn’t want to agree since Jungkook is literally the busiest man in South Korea for a reason.

“Mrs. Jeon.”

And that made your head snap back towards him. He has only used that tone and title to call you once, and that was during one of the biggest fights you’ve ever had with Jungkook. 

You sighed, “Okay, understood baby.”

His expression softened instantly after he heard the last word you said to him, “Good,” he said quietly, “now get up, I’m taking you to the hospital.”

You pushed yourself slightly to sit upright, “You seriously don’t need to.”

“Why?” he asked, “you’re clearly sick.”

“Because,” you hesitated as your hand reached for your bag automatically, “because I’m pregnant.”

The room went silent. You pulled the ultrasound image from your bag and held it out for him with shaky fingers.

Jungkook didn’t move for a full second, then he stepped forward slowly to take the ultrasound image you were holding. 

He looked at the image and his breath stopped.

Jungkook didn’t speak, his mouth didn’t fall open. The reaction was more subtle than that, but he also wasn’t smiling or saying anything.

And that scared you.

Because you knew Jungkook before the wedding. You remembered the confession he once told you, “I don’t know if I should have children. I don’t want them to turn out like me.”

But then the past year, your marriage life happened. And Jungkook somehow already has ideas of turning a guest room into a nursery, and looked at stroller models with the same focus he puts in for business acquisitions. 

So him being silent after looking at the ultrasound scan terrified you.

“Are you upset?” you asked him.

Still nothing. Until he finally said, “I’m sorry.”

You looked at him confused, “Why are you sorry?”

He turned the ultrasound around so you could see the scan, and said, with complete seriousness, “Because you’re sick because of this little cunt.”

Your mouth fell open, “I’m sorry, did you just call our kid a cunt?”

“Yes,” he didn’t even blink, "you're sick because of them,” Jungkook continued, “and you are my priority.”

You wanted to laugh but you held it in, “Aren’t you happy?”

His eyes looked into yours, “Of course I’m happy, but not when you’re sick.”

You finally stopped trying to hold your laugh, “You can not hate our kid.”

“Hate?” he repeated, looking offended, “I love them already.”

You blinked, “Then why did you call them a cunt?”

“Because they’re making you sick,” he said, “and nothing gets to hurt you, nothing.”

You shook your head, overwhelmed, “That’s not, you know it’s normal, Jungkook.”

He ignored that completely.

He moved closer to the bed, then he lowered himself onto one knee beside you. Jungkook rested one hand on the mattress beside your hip. The other hovered over your stomach before he finally placed it there gently. 

“But they should not be a burden to you,” he said quietly, “they should not make their mother sick, they should not make my wife pale and throw up, which also means,” he continued, “I need to admit you at the hospital.”

“Jungkook," you rolled your eyes at him.

He leaned forward and kissed your stomach. The moment lasted longer than you expected. When he pulled back, he quickly stood up and looked down at you, “Next time something feels off, you tell me. Immediately.”

You nodded, “Okay. Can I ask something?” you whispered.

He tilted his head slightly, “Hmm?”

You sat up carefully, “You’re not upset?”

He blinked at you, “Why would I be upset?”

“You were quiet when I told you the news.”

“I was calculating.”

“Calculating what?” you asked confusedly. 

He looked at you then, “How fast I needed to reorganize my life and how to keep both of you safe.”

This time, a tear fell before you could stop it, “Hormones,” you mumbled.

He didn’t argue or tease you like he usually would do, he just nodded once before kissing your forehead. 

Most people soften when becoming parents. Jungkook didn’t just soften, he found a new purpose.

The Hell Jungkook comes from does not burn with fire. 

There are two kinds of Hell, Kratos and the below.

Kratos is where Jungkook comes from, it’s where the powerful live. While the below is where the lowlives and humans, known as the lesser, are. the below burns with the hottest flames.

The air in Kratos is heavy and thick, and you can often hear the screams of the lesser passing by to the below. Unlike the below, the ground in Kratos isn’t covered in dirt, but covered with dark stone that glows faintly with red because of the heat that comes from underneath. 

Kratos is divided into four areas with each ruled by one of the great citadels: the Jeon in the north, the Kim in the east, the Lee in the south, and the Min in the west. 

Together they form Kratos, with each one holding its own laws, armies, and rituals.

And though the four families have ruled longer than memory, every demon knows the truth: in Kratos, nothing is permanent. 

A citadel stands only as long as its ruler can defend it, and lineage means little here.

Every demon born within a citadel, even those not of its blood, carries the right to challenge its rulers. If they are strong enough, if they can make others kneel and fear, they can take the citadel for themselves.

At the center of North Kratos, stands the citadel of Jeon with its dark and tall towers cutting through the mist.

The walls were cold as ice and the gates were built from the bones of the first creatuere that ever died there. 

It doesn’t look like a home, it stands tall more like a reminder that in Kratos, you don’t live unless you learn how to survive.

The demons who ruled in Kratos weren’t born into power, they had to fight for it. 

Every stone in the citadel of Jeon was taken from someone else, every tower was built on the ruins of another’s fall.

From the moment he was born, everyone thought Jungkook was not meant to rule as he was the second son and was treated like such. 

But even in Hell, power gravitates toward those who can command without trying.

Jungkook came from the same mother as his brother, Seokjin. But while Seokjin speaks in riddles and enjoys threatening others with his words, Jungkook says nothing at all.

And that silence is more unnerving in Hell than any words could. 

After more than a thousand years of rule, the first crack in the Jeon empire began with its two sons.

Soon the others started watching Jungkook in training yards, and copying how he moved. 

Power in Kratos wasn’t passed down, it was drawn from fear. The more others feared you, the more the air bent around your name.

At first, people believed the next ruler would be Seokjin, but the strength of the citadels were built on the energy of fear, and when fear began to shift from Seokjin to Jungkook, the balance of Kratos tilted with it.

Seokjin noticed the change before anyone dared speak of it. The others began to look at his brother differently, with more fear and respect.

The first son understood what that meant. 

So he did what every future ruler would do when the balance starts to slip and before the energy of the citadel starts to turn towards his younger brother. 

Seokjin turned to and relied on the oldest ritual only the ruler families could recite. 

♡━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━♡

The brothers met as they always did every Wednesday, quietly and without guards.

Just the two of them, a bottle of wine between them, and the coldness coming from the fortress walls.

Jungkook took the first sip. It burned at first, as it usually does, then it softened into sweetness.

It’s the sensation of the best wine in Kratos. 

Before he could set the cup down, a strange warmth began to crawl up his throat. Jungkook felt his pulse slowing down, and the room started to tilt and blurred.

Across the table, Seokjin watched him. His brother was too still and calm. 

Jungkook now noticed that his brother hasn’t touched his own wine glass.

When Jungkook’s hands began to shake, Seokjin stood up and started to murmur words that took a moment too long for Jungkook to understand.

It was the ancient language of the Gods in Heaven. A language only the families of rulers in Kratos could learn.

His brother was reciting one of the oldest rituals to ever exist in this realm. Seokjin was about to send him to earth, which Jungkook knew by now.

Seokjin cut his palm open, letting blood drip to the floor as he traced marks around Jungkook, one after another.

When the last mark crossed Jungkook’s chest, Seokjin knelt beside him. Their faces were close, but when one brother twisted with pain, the other almost serene.

“Killing you would be too kind,” Seokjin whispered, “so I’ll give you a taste of eternity on earth instead.”

Then, he spoke of the curse that will bind his brother to earth:

“Only when fear becomes affection will the darkness find its freedom.”

The chamber walls were shaking as if the citadel has been struck by a storm. There were mists forming in the chamber, and Jungkook’s form began to distort.

When he opened his eyes again, the sky was no longer red but gray. Jungkook was lying on a cold floor made of wood, not stone. 

The room was small, with only a single bed, a broken mirror, and floorboards that creaked whenever he breathed.

The curse has bound Jungkook here, it has anchored him to this one decaying space on earth.

Where once his dark and wide wings could cover kingdoms, now brushed against peeling wallpaper.

Jungkook pushed himself to his feet and tried to break through the wall. Every time he reached beyond the walls, his body turned to smoke and snapped back, reforming at the center of the attic.

For the first time since his creation, he understood what it meant to be contained.

Jungkook went to the door and tried the handle, but his hand slipped through the wood. 

He tried again and again, and each attempt ended the same way.

He was trapped.

He tried to burn the room down with the little strength he had left. Fire sparked in his palms, yet it died before they could even burn anything.

The effort left him empty as if the curse was swallowing his will whole.

Eventually, Jungkook stopped trying.

♡━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━♡

Jungkook thought of his followers, but mere demons couldn’t just step into the human world.

The line between Hell and Earth was sealed in both directions. To cross, they needed the ancient ritual done by the ruling families. There was no other access. 

And no ordinary demons would dare request of such a thing from the ruling families. They would not be able to reach him. They would not be able to drag him back. 

In the citadel, the king, Jungkook’s father, did not interfere.

The king has always been careful with his sons, out of discipline. He did not play favorites in public, he did not correct or even cared about their rivalries. He did not step into their politics.

He ruled his citadel, not children, but he has always liked Jungkook better.

The thing is, the king could see the future.

He had seen what would happen if he stepped in, he had seen versions of reality where Jungkook never fell, and saw how all of them ended worse than this.

So he watched the curse unfold and did nothing.

No order was given to stop the ritual or to pull the second son back from whatever place it would send him. The king turned his face away from what was happening, and let fate take its role.

♡━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━♡

Seokjin knew exactly what he was doing.

As one of the most powerful demons in Kratos, Jungkook was feared by thousands of creatures of every form, and don’t even mention the lowly humans. 

A single glimpse of him, his horns, his wings, and his eyes, was enough to drive humans to their knees, begging for their lives.

Seokjin knew what he was invoking when he recited fear into affection. 

It was a curse designed to fail.

Jungkook’s horns curved from his temples, his wings stretched wide and black, and his eyes were shades of red and black.

Even here, trapped in the attic, humans could sense him. The air thickened and somehow feels colder when they come closer. 

The first human to rent the attic arrived in the middle of a storm.

Jungkook felt him enter the building before he heard the key in the lock. Human energy was different, it was so soft and always close to breaking.

The man dragged a single trunk up the stairs, muttering about leaky roofs and cheap rent, he opened the door, stepped inside, and froze.

Jungkook stood by the window, he didn’t move, speak, or bother to appear more real. 

The man turned, squinting his eyes, as if trying to focus on something. His gaze looked over to Jungkook once, twice, then stopped close enough to feel him.

The fear hit fast. His breath stopped and the trunk he was holding fell. His hand fumbled for the doorknob and he just ran down the stairs, out into the rain and the storm.

By morning, the owner of the house put up a new sign in front of the house: 

Cheap room available.

And that became the pattern.

The humans come and go, the longest they have lasted was a month. They could feel the cold that lingered no matter how high they turned up the heater. They noticed doors that didn’t stay shut or objects that weren’t where they left them. 

Some felt a presence.

Some even saw him from their peripheral view.

All of them, eventually, reached to the point where the weight of their fear became too much.

One night, a woman laid on the bed, staring at the ceiling. Tears slipping into her hair, soaking the pillow she laid against. She held an envelope against her chest and kept whispering sorry, over and over again, to no one in particular. 

Jungkook couldn’t help but say, “Pathetic,” out loud, letting the human hear him.

She froze, turned her head, her eyes roamed the darkness in her room, and caught on the faint shape of him.

The moment she realized she wasn’t imagining it, when she felt him, terror rushed through her.

She left before the sun came up, still in her nightgown, and shoes clutched in one hand.

Her things stayed behind for a while. She has sent someone else to pack them up. The owners then muttered about bad luck, about the cursed attic, about how they should just seal it off, but they never did. 

There was always someone who needed cheap rent.

Outside, the world has slowly changed. Carts became cars. Neon signs painted the streets in colors he has never seen in Hell. The sounds changed too, there was less shouting, more engines, then music, and then something new entirely.

The room tried to keep up, then gave up. The owners and tenants kept on changing. The iron bed was replaced with a lighter frame. The old floral wallpaper was peeled off, and now covered with white paint. The mirror on the wall was swapped out a few times, each one more minimalistic  than the last.

Jungkook would take a look at himself in those mirrors. His horns curled from his head and his wings folded close. The contrast between his size and the cramped, ordinary human room made everything feel even smaller.

The more modern tenants kept coming. A musician who complained about “bad acoustics.” A student who hung string lights on the wall and joked to her friends over the phone about how “this place feels haunted but the rent is unbelievably cheap.”

He could tell, almost immediately, who would leave quickly and who would try to make this place a home. The ones who moved furniture in, who lit candles, and the ones who stuck photographs to the wall lasted a little longer. But in the end, the same pattern found them.

The cold, uneasiness, and the feeling of being watched.

Fear would find them again.

Jungkook no longer hopes to be rescued anymore. He knew the soldiers couldn’t reach him, and knew his father had seen this coming and chose not to interfere. 

He used to be feared by thousands, now he haunted a space smaller than his old bedroom closet. 

Jungkook found it funny now, in a bitter way. 

Looking at fear in humans and how they react was the only thing that helped him with boredom, so Jungkook started to play with it. 

When new tenants moved in, he would let them settle for a few days before making his presence known. A whisper when they were half asleep, showing a shadow of himself, making the floorboards creak when no one was walking, and moving their items from one place to another. Small, harmless things, but enough to twist the air and make their hearts race.

Sometimes he would knock a picture off the wall or rattle the window when the wind wasn’t strong enough to do it. Once, he traced words in the dust across the mirror, leave now, and laughed quietly when the woman screamed and ran. 

Jungkook felt pathetic.

He went from nearly ruling North Kratos to haunting a room no bigger than a cell in Kratos, scaring mortals who couldn’t even see him clearly.

There were nights when he didn’t bother to move at all. He would sit by the window, watching people move around, wondering if the curse could ever be broken. 

♡━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━♡

You’ve been working as an elementary school teacher for first graders for the past two years.

You love your job, the kids you teach, the coworkers who have become your closest friends, even the parents who bring you homemade brownies during parent-teacher meetings.

The only thing you absolutely despise is the commute.

Every morning you wake up two hours earlier than you should just to make it to school on time, and the exhaustion is starting to kill your enthusiasm. 

Some mornings, the idea of resigning doesn’t sound so bad.

“You can’t just quit because of the commute,” Hoseok groaned through the phone, “what about me and Namjoon? You’re just going to abandon your precious coworkers?”

You rolled your eyes, moving through the crowd on your way to your next destination, “I told you I’m literally on my way to see a house with a studio in their attic, which is walking distance, literally only fifteen minutes away from school. I’m trying, okay? For the both of you.”

“That’s what I wanted to hear!” he half yelled, his voice nearly bursting through your earphones.

Hoseok taught another first-grade class and joined the school the same year as you, while Namjoon handled the second graders. The three of you often spent lunch breaks in the teachers’ lounge together, sharing gossip about the parents you’ve heard from your students and complaining about lesson plans.

“I’m almost there,” you said, glancing at the address on your phone, “if it’s good news, I’ll call you later. If not, I’m resigning and moving to the countryside.”

“You are not!” Hoseok began, but you hung up before he could even finish his sentence. You sent him a middle finger emoji before putting your phone in your jeans pocket, and looking up at what you hoped would be your new home.

The Victorian-style house stood at the end of a quiet street, its white paint faintly yellowed with age. The front yard was small but tidy with a chipped white picket fence. It looked old, yes, but you preferred to see it as lived in. 

You spotted a middle-aged couple tending to their garden next door and waved politely.

“Hello!” you greeted them. “Oh, hello! Are you the new tenant?” the woman asked. “Just here for an inspection,” you said with a smile. “Taehyung should be inside,” her husband said, setting down his watering can, “we hope to see you around.”

You thanked them and made your way up the porch, knocking twice on the dark blue front door.

It opened to reveal a young man, probably around your age, maybe a little older, with dark hair and a smile across his face. He looked exactly like his profile picture from the listing.

“Hi, you must be ____. I’m Taehyung,” he greeted warmly. “Hi! Yeah, thanks for having me. I’m here to check out the studio upstairs?” “Of course. Come in, come in. How was the trip here? Was it easy to find?”

You stepped inside, slipping off your shoes near the entryway, “Yeah, it was super easy. The bus stop is like five minutes away, it’s perfect.”

“Good to hear,” Taehyung said, leading you through the shared living area, “this is the living room, a communal space, so feel free to hang out here anytime. We usually have movie nights on Fridays.”

You chuckled as your eyes scanned the room with warm lighting, mismatched furniture, and a pile of PlayStation games stacked beside the TV. 

He continued, guiding you towards the open plan kitchen and dining area, “Kitchen’s fully stocked, we have air fryer, coffee machine, matcha set, you name it. We just ask that everyone cleans up after themselves.”

He gestured towards the backyard which was visible through the sliding glass doors, “Not much out there yet, some people keep telling me to build a patio for parties, but I’m not really a party person.”

“It looks like a nice spot to read,” you said without thinking.

Taehyung’s smile widened, “That’s exactly what I do. Just grab a chair and a book.”

“Maybe we could add a little couch out there, it would be perfect for reading in the mornings.”

“Great idea,” he said, his eyes lighting up with approval before clapping his hands together, “alright, now for the part you actually came for. Let’s check out your potential studio.”

You followed him back towards the entryway where a narrow staircase curved upward. The steps creaked lightly under your weight as you walked up.

“The upstairs space used to be smaller, it was mostly an attic but apparently people rented it out as a bedroom since long ago as it’s big enough to be one,” Taehyung explained, “but we renovated it into a studio last year, the flooring and ceiling have been completely changed, the bathroom’s modern, and there’s good insulation, so you won’t freeze in winter.”

At the top of the stairs, he pushed open a white door and stepped aside for you to enter.

The space was surprisingly cozy, a single wide room, sunlight spilling through the windows. A kitchenette sat tucked in one corner, with a compact fridge and just enough counter space for one person. And the air smelled faintly of fresh paint and something else you couldn’t name.

You tried not to wrinkle your nose, probably the pipes, you told yourself.

“It’s nice,” you said, walking across the room to peek into the adjoining bathroom, "really nice, actually.”

Taehyung leaned against the doorframe, watching you with a grin, “I know the rent seems low for the area, but honestly, I just prefer good tenants over profit. We’ve had some people come and go.”

You raised an eyebrow, “Come and go?”

He laughed, waving his hand dismissively, “Nothing bad! Just people who moved for work or relationships. You know how it is.”

You nodded, but something about the way he said it made you look around the room again. The studio was bright enough, but the corner near the window felt oddly colder than the rest. 

Still, it was hard to deny the convenience or the price.

“I’ll take it,” you said finally, turning back to him with a small, excited smile.

Taehyung’s grin widened, “Perfect. Welcome to 306 Surry Street.”

For a split second, as he said it, you thought you saw something flicker in his expression.

And for the first time that day, you wondered if you just made a mistake.

♡━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━♡

You moved into 306 Surry St a week later, with Hoseok and Namjoon insisting on helping even though you told them repeatedly that you didn’t own much.

“That’s a lie,” Hoseok groaned dramatically, setting down another box beside your bed frame, “you have so many books. Who are these for? Your students or your next life?”

“They’re my emotional support books,” you replied, “some people go to therapy. I reread The Little Prince”

Namjoon, who has been assembling your IKEA desk on the floor, looked up with a chuckle, “Can’t believe you need help assembling an IKEA desk.”

“Yeah, because IKEA instructions are written by demons,” you shot back, pulling out a neatly folded pile of sweaters from a box, transferring it into the wardrobe near the bathroom door.

You started hanging up your work blouses first, then your coats. By the time you finished folding your jeans into the bottom drawer, Hoseok has already taken over unboxing your kitchen things.

“Okay, so you own three mugs, three plates, and exactly two forks and spoons," he said in disbelief.

“I live alone, Hoseok.”

He gasped, “Tragic. I’m buying you another set of cutleries.”

By early evening, the major unpacking was done, your bed was made, the bookshelves were filled, and your coffee corner was arranged neatly with instant packets. Namjoon found an outlet for your lamp, Hoseok managed to untangle all your charging cords, and together they carried the last of the flattened cardboard boxes downstairs.

When they came back up, Taehyung was waiting near the stairs with a smile, “Everything coming together okay?”

“Yeah,” you said, brushing dust off your hands, “It’s actually perfect. Thanks again, Taehyung.”

He nodded, “I’ll order takeout later, my treat for my new tenant.”

The three of you agreed immediately. While waiting for the food, you started arranging little things like sticking Polaroids on the wall with tape, stacking notebooks beside your bed, and sliding your rug a few inches to center it under the table.

“Now it looks lived in,” Hoseok said approvingly, sitting down on the rug and opening a can of soda, “we did good.”

Namjoon leaned against the wall, observing the room with a satisfied smile, “Could use a splash of color, though.”

You gave him a glare, “You sound like Hoseok.”

Hoseok threw a pillow at you in response, “I’m right here.”

♡━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━♡

Hoseok and Namjoon left just after dinner, you walked them out to the car, waving as they drove away before heading back upstairs.

The studio was quiet again. 

The sound of the fridge was the only sound filling the silence. You turned on a playlist, then began unpacking the smaller boxes you haven’t touched earlier, the stationeries, journals, and a few framed photos. 

You placed one photo on your desk, a picture of you, Hoseok, and Namjoon smiling outside the school gates.

After a long day, you finally sat down on the edge of your bed, looking around at the almost finished room. It wasn’t perfect, but it still felt like yours.

As you reached for your mug to drink the water you poured for yourself, you paused, because somehow, it was sitting perfectly centered on the table with the handle turned neatly towards you.

You blinked at it for a moment, then sighed, too tired to think much of it, “You’re just exhausted,” you muttered to yourself.

You changed into your pajamas, turned off the light, and climbed into bed. 

And as you drifted toward sleep, you thought to yourself, tomorrow, it will really feel like home.

♡━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━♡

By late Sunday afternoon, you finally met your other housemates. You just finished cleaning up the kitchen after heavy cooking which you couldn’t do in the studio, when you heard footsteps and a door creak open behind you.

A sleepy voice followed, “Smells good in here.”

You turned to see a man with dark hair walking into the kitchen, wearing an oversized hoodie and shorts.

“Oh, hey,” you greeted, “sorry, I used the kitchen earlier. I’m ____, the new tenant upstairs”

He nodded, yawning while introducing himself, “Yoongi.”

He didn’t say anything else for a moment, just opened a cabinet, pulled out a mug, and poured himself coffee from the coffee machine. Then, after a pause, he pointed lazily at your containers stacked on the counter, “You meal prep?”

“Yeah,” you said with a small laugh, “If I don’t, I’ll end up eating instant noodles all week.”

Before he could say anything else, you could hear another voice, “Yoongi, you’re actually awake? Miracles do happen.”

You looked over your shoulder to see another man walking into the kitchen, with all messy blond hair. He carried an energy that immediately filled the room. 

“Don’t start, Jimin,” Yoongi muttered, sipping his coffee.

Jimin turned to you with an eager smile, “Oh! You must be _____, the new tenant. Taehyung mentioned someone was moving into the studio upstairs. I’m Jimin.”

You shook his hand, smiling at him, “Nice to meet you. Sorry if I made too much noise this morning.”

“Please,” he laughed, “this place creaks on its own even when no one’s moving, you’re fine.”

You chuckled, brushing a strand of hair away from your face, “Good to know.”

The three of you ended up staying in the kitchen longer than expected. And Taehyung eventually joined in a loose T-shirt, holding a tray of fruit.

♡━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━♡

Monday morning came.

You woke up before your alarm for once, the sunlight shining on your sheets. 

It felt different waking up here, it feels quieter. No traffic could be heard outside, no neighbors slamming doors at odd hours.

You stretched your body, smiling to yourself as you remembered you had extra 90 minutes of sleep since the school is now walking distance.

You dressed in your usual work clothes and brewed coffee in the small kitchen of your studio. The kitchen space was tiny but had a charm of its own, you could move from the counter to the sink in a single step.

You sipped it slowly by the window, eyes tracing the quiet street below. 

For once, the commute wouldn’t mean waking up at dawn and running for the bus. You would be able to walk to school, maybe even grab a croissant from that little bakery you passed last week, the thought alone made you smile.

After breakfast, you packed your lunch, checked your bag twice, and grabbed your keys. Taehyung was already in the living room, scrolling on his tablet. He looked up at you and smiled, “Heading to work?”

“Yeah,” you said, slipping your shoes on, “first short commute in two years. I might actually have time to stop for croissants.”

“You look way too happy about that,” he laughed, “good luck with the kids.”

“Thanks,” you replied, waving as you left.

The walk to school took exactly thirteen minutes. You could have cried from how easy the commuting is now. 

You even passed by the bakery, grabbed a pastry, and still arrived early enough to set up your classroom before the first bell.

The day went smoothly, the kids were cheerful, the lessons flowed easily, and even your least cooperative student seemed to be in a good mood. You found yourself humming while cleaning up after class, it finally felt like life was finally peaceful again.

♡━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━♡

You got home late as you had dinner with the other teachers, and when you arrived, the house was unusually quiet that night.

By the time you reached upstairs, the clock on your wall showed 10:42 PM. You brushed your teeth, changed into your oversized shirt, and climbed into bed.

You didn’t realize when you drifted off.

Your thoughts blurred, and for the first time ever, your mind wasn’t running a mile a minute about lesson plans, grading, or groceries. 

But at some point in the night, you stirred awake.

It wasn’t because of noise, there wasn’t any. The air just felt different, colder, and thicker somehow. You blinked slowly, still half awake, your eyes adjusting to the dim light from the window.

And that’s when you saw a figure, tall, broad-shouldered, with what looked like wings behind him standing across the room. Not moving, just there.

At first, your mind didn’t register the fear you felt. 

You were too drowsy, still halfway between dreaming and reality. 

You blinked again, trying to focus, but just like that, it was gone.

You sat up slowly, staring at the corner where the figure stood. 

You rubbed your eyes. Maybe you were dreaming, you were tired. And it wasn’t like the studio had the best lighting at night. 

You laid back down, pulling the blanket up to your chin, and finally falling asleep after doing the breathing method the school psychologist taught you.

For the first time since you moved in, you didn’t feel alone.