𝙮𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙨 𝙗𝙚𝙩𝙬𝙚𝙚𝙣 𝙪𝙨 | 𝙟𝙟𝙠 • 10
˙⋆✮ They say having feelings for your brother's best friend is never a good idea...
But loving Jungkook feels like the easiest thing in the world.
He's been by your side for as long as you can remember, so it's only natural for you to feel devastated when your brother, Dohyun, tells you that Jungkook is about to get married.
For the first time ever, loving him doesn't feel easy at all.
paining: brother's best friend!jungkook × f!reader
genre: unrequited love(?), brother's best friend trope, angst, fluff, smut, slow burn
cw: age gap (jk is 32, reader is 22 ops), tension, reader is WHIPPED, pining, initial unrequited love (my fav), eventual smut (!!adding new warnings when needed!!)
>>english is not my first language
You’ve been avoiding Jungkook like the plague, and that’s easily one of the hardest things you’ve ever had to endure. Being close to him feels almost unbearable, the distance you’re desperately trying to create keeps dissolving every time you manage to put a few steps between you. No matter where you go or what excuse you find to keep yourself occupied, he always ends up there somehow, existing at the edge of your vision until you can’t pretend not to notice him anymore.
His presence is suffocating in the quietest way imaginable. It doesn’t demand attention, yet it steals yours effortlessly, his eyes never wavering whenever they land on you, never carrying even the slightest hint of hesitation. You spend the entire evening searching for distractions: throwing yourself into conversations, admiring the scenery, focusing on anything that can keep your mind from wandering back to him.
Eventually, everyone decides to have dinner at the hotel’s seaside restaurant, located in a separate building overlooking the water. The short walk there offers the kind of view people usually stop to enjoy. The ocean is stretching endlessly beneath a sky painted with fading shades of gold and blue, the salty breeze is brushing against your skin and the rhythmic sound of waves is breaking gently against the shore. You barely register any of it as you’re too busy rehearsing ways to make it through the night without finding yourself alone with him.
By the time everyone reaches the table, you’ve already made up your mind. Without drawing attention to yourself, you slip into the seat beside Taehyung, hoping the decision speaks for itself before anyone can question it. Thankfully, he doesn’t. He simply glances at you with his usual easygoing expression, completely unaware of the reason behind your choice, or perhaps kind enough not to ask.
The conversation flows naturally throughout dinner, jumping from one topic to another while plates of fresh seafood continue arriving at the table. The flavors are delicate, impossibly fresh, and for a while they almost succeed in pulling your thoughts somewhere else. You laugh when everyone else does, contribute just enough to avoid looking distant, and cling to the smoothness of the evening as though it might carry you safely to the end of it.
You never look at Jungkook. Not once.
The temptation lingers constantly, sitting at the back of your mind like an itch you refuse to scratch, but you know better than to give in. The possibility of meeting his eyes across the table is enough to make your appetite disappear altogether: you keep yours fixed on your plate, on Taehyung whenever he speaks, on the candle flickering between the dishes… anywhere but him.
Still, you know he’s trying to find an opportunity to talk to you. You don’t need to catch him staring to understand it. Every time you move, he somehow ends up nearby, a few steps behind you. He’s always close enough that you’re painfully aware of him without ever needing to turn around. It’s almost as if he’s become your shadow, silently following wherever the evening takes you, waiting for the moment you’ll finally stop running.
You refuse to give him that chance.
By the time dinner comes to an end, you’re already rehearsing your escape. You stand before anyone else has the chance to suggest another drink or a walk along the beach, rubbing at your eyes as you force out a tired smile and admit that you’re exhausted. You even complain that your legs barely have the strength to carry you back to your room, hoping the performance is convincing enough to keep anyone from insisting. It works.
A wave of understanding passes around the table almost immediately. Everyone wishes you goodnight, telling you to get some rest and enjoy the sleep you so obviously need. You return every smile, every farewell, then waste no time. The second you’re free to leave, you head straight back toward the hotel, eager to put walls, doors, and as much distance as possible between yourself and the one person you’ve spent the entire evening pretending not to notice.
Of course, sleep never comes.
You spend the entire night lying awake, staring into the darkness while your thoughts refuse to leave you alone. Every time your eyes begin to close, your mind drags you back to the moment when you and Jungkook were just a single breath apart, replaying everything that happened with cruel precision until you’re wide awake again. Somewhere between the endless hours and the moonlight filtering through the curtains, one thought settles itself so deeply in your chest that it becomes impossible to shake: you haven’t just ruined the vacation you’ve been counting down to for weeks, but you’ve probably ruined Jungkook’s too.
By the time morning rolls around, exhaustion clings to you like a second skin.
You barely remember agreeing to breakfast this early, but you regret it the second you step into the dining room. The smell of fresh coffee, warm pastries, and toasted bread fills the room, voices already buzzing around the large circular table where everyone has gathered, impossibly awake for this hour.
You, on the other hand, feel as though you’re still trapped somewhere between yesterday and today. Without really thinking, you spread a thin layer of strawberry jam across a slice of toast. Your hand moves on its own while your mind wanders somewhere else entirely, until the knife suddenly stops halfway across the bread.
You don’t even realize you’ve frozen when a gentle pressure lands on your shoulder, pulling you back to reality.
“I hope you’re not planning on killing me with that.”
Sophie’s voice is light, followed by an easy laugh as she nods toward the knife still suspended in your hand. You blink a couple of times before looking down, only now noticing how ridiculous you must’ve looked.
In any other circumstances, you would’ve laughed with her. This morning, the best you can manage is a weak breath that doesn’t quite become a smile.
The lack of sleep is written all over your face, you don’t need a mirror to know that. You can feel it in the heaviness behind your eyes, in the dull ache settled somewhere inside your head, in the way your body seems to be functioning a few seconds behind everyone else’s.
Sophie’s smile falters almost immediately.
“Hey…” she says more quietly this time. “Are you okay? You look kind of pale.”
The question hangs in the air just long enough for the rest of the table to notice. You become aware of the silence before you understand why it feels so heavy. Conversations begin to trail off one after another, replaced by the unmistakable sensation of being watched. When you finally lift your head, several pairs of eyes are already on you, concern replacing the easy smiles that had filled the room only moments earlier.
“Yeah-” Jimin agrees, his brows knitting together as he studies you from across the table. “You disappeared pretty early last night. Are you sure you’re feeling okay?”
The attention is almost unbearable. Instinctively, your gaze slips away in search of somewhere to land. Of course it finds Jungkook.
He’s sitting across the table with his head lowered, his phone resting beside his plate as his thumb moves lazily across the screen. He hasn’t looked up once since the conversation shifted toward you, his expression unreadable from where you’re sitting.
You find yourself wondering if he’s avoiding your eyes or if he’s simply waiting for you to answer.
The words leave your mouth before you’ve decided how you’re going to finish them. A faint vibration interrupts you. Your eyes drop automatically to the digital watch strapped around your wrist, expecting nothing more than one of the usual notifications. Instead, your breath catches.
Everything around you fades into the background as your pulse surges violently against your ribs.
kook ❤️🩹: Come find me downstairs tonight once everyone’s asleep.
Your breathing falters before you can stop it, your breakfast abandoned in front of you as the meaning of the message settles in. The piece of toast you were holding moments ago has become completely irrelevant, your fingers resting still against the table while your mind struggles to catch up with what you have just read.
You don’t want to look at him.
Every part of you knows that you shouldn’t, that the moment your eyes meet his you’ll lose the fragile control you’ve been holding onto since yesterday. But the pull is stronger than your attempt to resist it, and despite the silent warnings running through your head, your gaze eventually lifts across the table.
Jungkook is already looking at you. There is no surprise written across his face, no trace of hesitation now that you’ve finally caught him. He simply holds your gaze with the same quiet intensity he’s carried since yesterday.
What frightens you most isn’t the fact that he is watching you, but it’s the fact that you have no idea what he’s thinking.
You have known Jungkook for years. Long enough that understanding him has become something almost involuntary- something you never had to consciously learn. You know the way his expression changes when something bothers him, the small habits that appear when he’s uncomfortable, the subtle differences between the smiles he gives when he’s genuinely happy and the ones he wears when he’s trying to hide something. You can tell what kind of mood he’s in by the way he speaks, by the way he moves, by the smallest details most people would never notice. But right now, all of those familiar signs are gone.
The person sitting in front of you is still Jungkook, the same person you’ve spent years knowing better than almost anyone else, yet there is something about him that feels completely out of reach. For the first time, you find yourself unable to read the thoughts behind his eyes, unable to understand whether he is hurt, angry, disappointed, or simply waiting for you to stop running.
The words escape you before you can stop them, softer than intended. A small smile follows, carefully placed there for everyone watching, but you already know it isn’t convincing.
Today’s plan consists of a small boat tour around some of the island’s beaches, with a couple of stops planned along the way for anyone interested in spending some time in the water, whether that means snorkeling, swimming, or simply floating beneath the morning sun. As it turns out, your group is the only one that has any interest in leaving this early, which means the ocean is pretty quiet, interrupted only by the gentle sound of the boat cutting through the water as the shoreline gradually disappears behind you. The water is so clear that every now and then you catch glimpses of the seabed beneath the surface, patches of coral and darker rocks coming into view before disappearing again beneath the movement of the waves.
Your attention eventually shifts toward Dohyun, who seems to be enjoying himself more than anyone else on board. He’s been standing near the edge ever since you left the dock, phone held carefully over the side as he records video after video of the crystal-clear water below, leaning just enough to make you wonder whether he’s more likely to capture the perfect shot or accidentally sacrifice his phone to the ocean before the morning is over.
A little further away, the girls have naturally gathered together near the front of the boat, tucked away in their own little corner while they chat among themselves. You suppose it shouldn’t surprise you. Between wives (in Sophie’s case, a soon-to-be wife) there’s bound to be an understanding that comes effortlessly, conversations flowing in ways you probably wouldn’t be able to follow even if you were sitting beside them. Still, a small part of you can’t help feeling disappointed that no one thought to wave you over. No one except Celeste.
She catches you looking from across the deck and immediately lifts a hand in your direction, offering you the same warm smile she always seems to have whenever she’s with you. You don’t hesitate to wave back, grateful for the gesture, before your attention drifts toward Sophie almost without meaning to.
You remember spending hours helping her look for a wedding dress, listening to her overthink every little detail while asking for your opinion more times than you could count, convinced that if anyone knew what Jungkook would like, it was you. Back then she hadn’t seemed bothered by that fact in the slightest, yet ever since that afternoon she hasn’t come to you for advice again. You wonder whether she started thinking about it afterward- whether realizing how well you know him made her uncomfortable in a way she hadn’t expected.
You sigh knowing there’s no point dwelling on a question you could never bring yourself to ask, so you force yourself to let the thought go before it has the chance to make you anxious.
The boat comes to a gradual stop a few minutes later, close enough to the beach that you can make out the white sand beneath the palm trees, though still far enough for the water below to remain deep.
Someone begins passing around snorkeling masks and suddenly everyone is climbing over the side, one after another, without much hesitation. You follow not long after, the cold water wrapping itself around your body the moment you dive in, sharp enough to steal your breath for an instant before the discomfort fades beneath the sight waiting for you below the surface.
The reef is unlike anything you’ve ever seen before. Sunlight filters through the water in pale golden streaks, illuminating clusters of coral in shades of orange and soft yellow while countless fish weave effortlessly between them, some no larger than the palm of your hand, others bright enough to look fake. You watch as tiny silver fish move together, changing direction all at once before disappearing behind the rocks, unbothered by the people swimming only a few feet above them.
You swim back to the surface to take a deep breath before disappearing underwater again, wanting to get closer to everything around you. The silence feels peaceful, leaving nothing but the slow movement of the current around you as you follow a small group of fish, so distracted by everything unfolding in front of you that you completely lose track of where you’re going.
It isn’t until something solid collides with your back that you realize you’ve been drifting backwards the entire time.
Turning around proves to be far more difficult than you expect, your movements slowed by the water surrounding you, but after a slightly awkward attempt you finally manage to face whoever you’ve just bumped into.
You’re not surprised when you find Jungkook in front of you.
For what seems like an eternity, the two of you simply stare at one another, suspended beneath the surface as if neither of you knows what to do, before his hands find your waist, steadying you long enough to guide you back toward the surface with ease.
You emerge a second later, immediately pushing your mask up onto your forehead while brushing the wet strands of hair away from your face, only to realize that Jungkook has surfaced beside you at almost the exact same moment.
Everyone else is still underwater, leaving the two of you alone above the surface with nothing but the distant sound of the boat rocking gently behind you and the waves breaking softly somewhere closer to the shore.
Your gaze lingers on the silver of his lip ring as it catches the sunlight with every subtle movement he makes. You don’t look away until he finally speaks.
Your cheeks warm almost instantly. At this point, you’re starting to believe that water is genuinely cursed whenever Jungkook is involved. This also happens to be the first interaction you’ve had since climbing onto him like a koala.
“I know how to swim” you mumble, trying your best to sound unaffected. “but thanks.”
You don’t give him the opportunity to answer. Almost as soon as the words leave your mouth, you turn away and begin swimming back toward the boat, convincing yourself that you’ve explored enough for now. In reality, the reef has become the last thing capable of holding your attention now that Jungkook has managed to find you yet again.
Namjoon’s voice reaches you from behind, calling you back and asking you not to leave the water, but you pretend you don’t hear him. You know he only wants you to have fun, but right now you don’t have the energy for that. So you keep moving, letting his voice fade behind you.
Climbing back onto the boat is harder than you expect. Your hands tighten around the small ladder as you pull yourself up, the wet surface making every movement less steady, and for a second your foot slips beneath you. The sudden loss of balance makes your heart jump, but you manage to recover quickly enough to avoid falling or drawing anyone’s attention. You finally step inside the boat, quietly making your way to one of the seats that sticks out near the side, close to where your friends are still in the water, laughing and enjoying themselves.
You sit down, watching them from a distance while trying to ignore your watering eyes. The sound of their voices and the movement of the waves should be enough to distract you, but your mind keeps returning to the same thing you have been trying not to think about.
Jungkook wants to see you. He wants to talk to you. And you are not ready for that.
The idea of having to face him- of sitting down and hearing whatever he has to say- already makes you feel uneasy, because you have a pretty good idea of what the conversation would be about. There is only one thing that has been left hanging between the two of you, something that neither of you has directly addressed: your feelings for him. After what happened, you know there is no way he doesn’t believe that the person you like is him. From his perspective, the conclusion must seem obvious, and even if you wish things were different you can’t really blame him for thinking that. With the way everything happened and the way you were so ready to kiss him, it would be difficult for him to believe anything else.
The instructor eventually calls everyone back onto the boat, interrupting the fun everyone was having in the water. After stopping at a few more beaches along the way, you all decide it is finally time to head back.
“I’ve never seen anything like this before, it’s beautiful.” Hoseok comments as he takes one of the available seats, still looking around at the view surrounding him.
And of course, because luck has never really been on your side, you somehow end up sitting right beside Jungkook.
You try not to show how uncomfortable you feel, hoping that maybe if you act normal enough, your own nerves will eventually calm down. Jungkook seems completely unaware of the anxiety building inside your head as he adjusts his position, placing the arm closest to you against the small railing beside him and gripping it to keep himself steady once the boat starts moving.
You immediately try to create as much distance as possible, shifting away from him even though you already know there isn’t much space to work with. The seat is too narrow, the space around you too limited, and no matter how much you try to move, there is nowhere for you to escape.
Then the boat suddenly starts moving.
The unexpected speed catches you off guard, and before you have enough time to prepare yourself, the wind created by the movement rushes against you. The force of it pushes your body sideways, making you lose your balance and moving you without your permission.
Before you can stop yourself, you end up against Jungkook. His free arm immediately moves around your waist, catching you before you can fall, and even though the gesture is only meant to keep you safe, it is enough to make your heart race.
You hate how easily he affects you. How a simple touch, something that probably means nothing to him, can completely throw you off balance.
You feel almost weak from how overwhelmed you are, and while you are still trying to recover from the situation- from the fact that you are so close to him again- you make up your mind.
You won’t be seeing him tonight.
Because if being near him for only a few seconds is already enough to make you feel this way, you know you are not ready to talk to him.
There is a bar by the beach that stays open until late at night, and after dinner, following Jin’s suggestion, that is exactly where everyone decides to go.
Getting ready takes considerably less time than it usually would. You barely glance at yourself in the mirror before slipping into the green dress hanging at the front of your wardrobe, deciding it is good enough without bothering to look for something else. Under different circumstances you probably would have changed your mind at least twice before leaving the room, but tonight you cannot bring yourself to care. The hem keeps brushing against your legs as you walk, occasionally catching the sand beneath your feet whenever the path gets too close to the beach, while the open back leaves your skin exposed to the cooler air that settles over the island after sunset. Every now and then your hand reaches down to dust away the grains clinging stubbornly to the fabric, only for new ones to replace them a few steps later.
“Come on, guys, let’s go get something to drink.”
Dohyun doesn’t wait for anyone to answer before slipping an arm around Celeste’s shoulders, pressing a quick kiss against her temple before they disappear into the growing crowd together.
You find yourself watching them for a second longer than you probably should. It reminds you, rather unwillingly, of the bet you made with Jungkook. Well… at least one thing is certain: you definitely won’t be the one paying for the drinks.
The bar is busier than you expected, filled with tourists and locals alike, their conversations blending together beneath the music drifting from the speakers positioned around the wooden deck. Some people have claimed the tables overlooking the water, others remain standing closer to the counter with colourful cocktails in their hands. It’s the kind of atmosphere you usually enjoy, yet tonight it barely manages to excite you.
By the time you finally decide what to order, everyone else has already collected their drinks and wandered off in different directions.
You thank the bartender before turning around, only to stop almost immediately when you find Taehyung standing a few steps behind you, clearly convinced that approaching in complete silence would somehow be enough to catch you off guard. You notice him before he even gets close. Raising an eyebrow, you turn to face him just as he comes to an abrupt stop, his expression making it painfully obvious that his plan has fallen apart before it even began.
“Oh…” He hesitates, tilting his head as though he is genuinely considering whether there is still a way to fix the situation. “…boo?” A laugh escapes before you can stop it, drawing an exaggerated sigh from him as he finally gives up on the idea of pretending the attempt had been successful. “I almost had you” he insists anyway, taking the first sip of his drink only to miss the straw entirely, something you thankfully manage not to point out.
The smile lingers for a little longer than you expect before fading on its own, and you know Taehyung notices the change almost immediately.
Without really noticing, the two of you fall behind the others, the music becoming quieter with every step until it’s softly humming in the background. The distance is enough that you no longer need to raise your voices to hear each other, and for a while neither of you says much, content to stand side by side. Taehyung is the one who eventually breaks the silence.
“I know something’s bothering you, y/n.”
You already know where this conversation is heading. Taehyung has never hidden the fact that, whenever Jungkook is the reason behind your sour mood, he would rather you tell him than keep everything bottled up. More often than not, you have managed to avoid conversations like this with a quick excuse or a subject change before he could insist, mostly because you never wanted to make your feelings someone else’s problem.
You stay quiet, your fingers tightening slightly around the glass resting in your hand while your eyes wander over the people gathered around the bar, searching for a reason to leave the conversation exactly where it is.When you don’t find one, your gaze returns to Taehyung.
For as long as you’ve known him, he has never given you a reason to question his honesty, and somewhere between all the conversations you’ve shared over the past few months, trusting him became easy.
You reach for his hand before you can talk yourself out of it. “Come with me.”
His eyebrows lift ever so slightly though he doesn’t ask what you mean, he simply follows.
Neither of you notices Jungkook watching from across the bar, his attention drifting away from the people around him the moment he sees you weave through the crowd with Taehyung’s hand still loosely wrapped in yours.
You lead Taehyung away from the crowd, following the shoreline until the music gives way to the sound of the waves, quieter now that you’ve put enough distance between yourselves and the bar. A handful of tables have also been scattered along the beach for anyone wanting a break from the noise, most of them already occupied despite the late hour, though one tucked slightly farther from the others has somehow been left empty. You head toward it without saying a word, setting your drink down before taking the chair facing the ocean, your eyes lingering on the water while you search for a way to begin.
The silence stretches between you, though it never feels uncomfortable. You had convinced yourself that dragging Taehyung away from everyone else would make this easier, that once the two of you were alone the words would come naturally, yet now that the opportunity is sitting right in front of you, they seem determined to remain exactly where they are.
“Tae…” You let out a quiet breath, still watching the waves instead of him. “I messed up. Big time.”
The hint of amusement that had followed him ever since he failed to scare you disappears almost immediately. “What happened?”
Your fingers tighten slightly around the cold glass in front of you, the condensation dampening your fingertips as you slowly turn it against the wooden table.
“Do you remember when Jungkook and I went to the pool?” He nods once, waiting for you to continue without interrupting.
“We were having fun…” A humourless smile flickers across your face before disappearing just as quickly. “I was trying to push him underwater, and I still don’t know how we ended up like that because one second we were just messing around and…” You stop, the memory surfacing so clearly that for an instant it almost feels as though you’re standing in that pool all over again. “…the next thing I knew, I had my legs around his waist.”
Saying it out loud sounds so much worse than replaying it in your own head. You lower your eyes to the table, your thumb tracing the rim of the glass as you struggle to put the rest into words.
“He was so close that I couldn’t think about anything else.” Even now, remembering the way he had been looking at you is enough to make your chest feel heavy. “Neither of us moved. We just… stayed there.” Taehyung remains silent.
He doesn’t rush you, doesn’t fill the pause with questions.
“I was looking at him and-” Your voice falters, forcing you to swallow before trying again. “Tae… I was about to kiss him.” You don’t dare look up.
“I was so caught up in that moment that if that woman hadn’t interrupted us…” The sentence trails off on its own, the ending so painfully obvious that saying it aloud almost feels unnecessary. You force yourself to do it anyway, your voice barely rising above the sound of the waves.
“…I would’ve kissed him.”
You hear him sigh quietly, and it’s clear that the situation is weighing on him too. Taehyung stays silent for a moment, looking deep in thought before he finally speaks again.
“Y/n… you know I love you, and I’ll always be here for you. But you need to learn how to control yourself.” He pauses, letting the words settle between you.
“He’s getting married in a month.” He sighs again, leaning closer to you as his arms are now resting on the table. “I’m telling you this because I care about you, not because I’m trying to do what’s best for Jungkook.”
You know he’s right. You know that, somehow, you’re supposed to move on, and maybe this is the moment when you finally have to try.
But Jungkook has always been someone you could rely on- your soulmate. The thought of disappearing without an explanation or leaving him confused about why you’ve suddenly become so cold toward him feels worse than the pain you’ve been carrying yourself. You would rather keep suffering for the rest of your life than be the reason he’s hurting.
“He wants to talk.” you add quietly, almost afraid of saying the words out loud. Your heart starts racing at the mere thought of it. “Tonight.”
You watch as Taehyung gets up from his chair, his drink completely empty by now. He reaches out, offering you his hand, his expression softer than before. “And you will.”
He steps closer, keeping his hand extended, waiting for you to take it.
“Stop assuming you’re going to lose Jungkook no matter what. You don’t know that. Just be honest with him.”
His words linger in your mind as you slowly reach for his hand. The moment your fingers touch his, he pulls you up from the chair and swiftly wraps his arms around you, holding you in a hug that feels almost overwhelming.
“You can do it. Everything will be alright.” he whispers against your ear, his voice gentle as he pats your head. “It’s time to let go.” You fight against the sudden urge to cry as you hug him back, taking a deep breath and letting the familiar scent of his perfume fill your senses.
You hate how easily your mind compares it to Jungkook’s.
You keep pacing around your hotel room, your hands constantly finding their way into your hair as you try to convince yourself that staying here, away from Jungkook, is the right thing to do.
The night ended almost an hour ago, but your mind is still stuck on the moment when the guys started asking where you and Taehyung had disappeared to, their teasing expressions making it obvious that they had already noticed something was off. It was a harmless question, but then Taehyung, with absolutely no hesitation, decided to answer with “trouble in paradise.”
The joke was funny, you couldn’t even deny that, but at that moment all you wanted was to somehow glue his mouth shut before he could make the situation any more complicated than it already was.
Eventually, you stop walking around and sit down on the edge of the bed, your elbows resting on your knees while you stare at the floor and try to slow down your breathing, although your heart is beating so fast you almost feel dizzy.
The idea of staying in your room for the rest of the night seems like the easiest option. The thought of not having to see Jungkook- not having to sit in front of him while waiting for him to ask questions you’re not ready to answer- brings you a sense of relief that you gladly welcome in.
You reach for your phone and unplug it from the charger before opening your conversation with him, your eyes immediately going to his last message. He hasn’t said anything else since then.
Maybe you should be relieved by that, maybe you should take the silence as an opportunity to avoid the conversation for one more night, but instead you find yourself wondering if he’s waiting for you to say something first, if he’s looking at his phone the same way you are, unsure of what to do next.
Your thumb hovers over his name, the possibility of sending him a message sitting there for a few seconds before you lock your phone again.
No, if Jungkook really wants to talk, he’ll find you.
You throw your phone onto the bed before grabbing a pillow and burying your face into it, letting out a frustrated sound as you try to convince yourself that this is the right decision.
You’re not going to see him tonight. That’s final.
You’re sticking to the plan you made the second he wrapped his arm around you on that boat, even if you can already imagine Taehyung’s reaction when he finds out you ran away again instead of doing as asked.
The next thirty minutes feel impossibly suffocating, every attempt at distracting yourself failing because your mind keeps returning to Jungkook. When you finally pick up your phone again and notice that it’s already three in the morning, you feel your stomach twist at the realization that the night has passed so quickly and yet somehow you’re still exactly where you started. Then, almost immediately after, your phone lights up.
You stare at the notification for a few seconds before sitting up, a quiet panic taking over as you get out of bed and start pacing again, walking from one side of the room to the other while seriously considering whether turning your phone off and throwing it out the window would make the problem disappear.
You don’t answer. Even though you know you should, even though the guilt is already starting to build because you have no idea how long he has been waiting or if he has been looking for you, your fingers remain completely still.
After another ten minutes of convincing yourself that he has probably already given up and gone back to his room, you decide to finally try sleeping. You get under the covers, pulling them closer around yourself because the hotel room feels colder during the night, and just when you start to relax enough to close your eyes, a knock echoes through the room. You freeze, your entire body going tense as you suddenly become aware of every single sound you could possibly make.
“Y/n, please open the door.”
His voice reaches you from the other side, and for a few seconds you simply stay there, unable to process the fact that he is actually standing outside your room.
You don’t move, hoping that if you stay completely silent he’ll eventually believe you’re asleep and leave, even though deep down you already know Jungkook has always been too good at reading you to fall for something like that.
You close your eyes, realizing that there is no way out anymore. You can’t keep avoiding him forever, especially not when he’s right there, waiting for you to open the door and finally have the conversation you’ve been trying so desperately to run away from. You slowly get out of bed and walk toward the door, pressing your forehead against it as you take a deep breath, trying to gather enough courage before speaking.
“What do you want, Jungkook?”
You hear him try the handle, but the locked door prevents him from opening it.
“Please, sweetheart. Let’s talk.”
And somehow, despite everything you’ve been telling yourself for the past hour, you still end up unlocking the door. Because when it comes to Jungkook, your heart has always been much weaker than your mind.
You open it slowly, and the first thing you notice is him standing there dressed completely in black, wearing only shorts and a shirt, looking calm and composed while you feel like your entire body is about to collapse.
You immediately feel your cheeks warm up and quickly look away, annoyed at yourself for checking him out in this kind of situation. You step aside to let him enter, and he walks into the room before sitting down on the bed.
You stay standing a few feet away, keeping the distance between you because being close to him feels devastating, but when he taps the empty space beside him, silently asking you to sit, you already know you won’t be able to refuse him.
Slowly, you walk over and take the seat beside him, leaving only a small distance between your bodies while trying to convince yourself that you’re feeling completely fine.
Then Jungkook finally speaks.
“I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you for the past two days.” Your heart skips a beat.
And before you can prepare yourself, before you can find another excuse or another reason to avoid telling the truth, he asks you the only question you wish he wouldn’t ask.
“Are you in love with me, Y/n?”
you guys… IT’S FINALLY HAPPENING!!!
i’m sorry for the cliffhanger… actually no i’m not because you all know this is my favorite way to end a chapter 😭
i also barely had time to proofread this one, so if you notice any mistakes… pretend you didn’t <3
thank you so much for reading, and please let me know what you think 💘
