#whatcomesafter

The bell above the door chimed as another customer stepped into the ice cream shop, and Jungkook immediately looked up from the register with the same practiced smile he'd been wearing for the better part of the afternoon.

"Hi, welcome in."

He greeted the customer, ringing up their order before handing over their cup and quietly wishing them a good day as they walked back outside.

The shop had been relatively busy that afternoon, but Jungkook found himself distracted more often than usual. Every few minutes, his eyes would wander toward the front door before he'd catch himself and force his attention back toward whatever he was doing.

It had become a habit.

One Yoonhee had apparently noticed.

"You know," She said from behind the register, watching him with an amused expression

"If you keep staring at that door, you're going to burn a hole through it."

Jungkook looked over his shoulder, trying to hide the smile tugging at the corner of his lips.

"I'm not staring at the door."

Yoonhee raised an eyebrow.

"You've looked at it at least six times."

"I was just checking."

"Checking for what?"

He shrugged, turning his attention back toward the counter as he picked up a cloth and began wiping a spot that had already been cleaned twice.

"Nothing."

Yoonhee let out a quiet laugh.

"Of course."

Jungkook smiled to himself, knowing exactly what she was implying.

He didn't bother arguing.

She'd known him long enough to know when he was lying.

The three girls who had become regulars at the shop were sitting at their usual table by the window. Two of them were quietly talking to each other, occasionally glancing toward the counter with amused smiles whenever Jungkook caught himself looking at the door again.

The third seemed completely uninterested in whatever they were talking about, eating her cookies and cream as if the entire world could disappear around her and she wouldn't notice.

Jungkook glanced toward the clock.

She should be coming soon.

He tried not to smile, but instantly failed.

Yoonhee noticed immediately.

"She'll be here."

Jungkook looked over at her.

"I know."

There was something about saying it out loud that made his chest feel lighter.

He knew she'd come.

And yet, somehow every time he waited for her, there was still that tiny part of him that felt like a teenager waiting to see her for the first time.

After everything they'd been through, he wasn't sure that feeling would ever go away.

And honestly, he didn't want it to.

The bell above the door chimed again, and this time Jungkook didn't even pretend he wasn't looking.

He turned toward the entrance almost immediately.

And there she was.

Rosie stepped inside, but unlike the last time she'd walked through those doors, she wasn't wearing the familiar ice cream shop apron.

Instead, she was dressed in a neatly tailored outfit, her work bag resting over one shoulder as she walked through the shop with a confidence that hadn't been there when she'd first started working with them.

Jungkook's eyes followed her instinctively.

A smile slowly spread across her face as she caught his gaze almost immediately.

"Hi."

Jungkook's own smile softened.

"Hey."

There was still something almost surreal about seeing her walk toward him.

No matter how many times he saw her, it always felt like the first.

The first time she'd smiled at him.

The first time she'd walked into that piano room.

The first time he'd realized that against everything he'd tried to convince himself of, he was falling in love with her all over again.

Except now, he didn't have to pretend.

Rosie walked toward the counter, setting her bag down before leaning against it.

"How's my favorite employee?"

Jungkook laughed quietly.

"Your favorite employee?"

"Mhm."

She nodded, smiling.

"Definitely."

"I'm actually doing much better now." Jungkook replies, letting out a quick laugh.

He stepped out from behind the counter and met her halfway, barely giving her enough time to say anything before leaning down and pressing a kiss to her lips.

Rosie laughed against him, her hands instinctively finding his arms before she pulled away.

"Jungkook."

He grinned.

"What?"

She glanced around the shop.

"You've got to stop doing that in public."

He raised an eyebrow.

"Doing what?"

"Kissing me whenever you feel like it."

She shook her head, trying not to laugh.

"Especially when you're working."

Jungkook glanced toward the register before waving a hand dismissively.

"Ah. What's she gonna do?"

He nodded toward Yoonhee.

"Fire me?"

A rag suddenly smacked him across the shoulder.

Jungkook jumped, turning around to find Yoonhee standing behind him with her arms crossed.

"Don't tempt me."

Rosie immediately burst into laughter.

Jungkook rubbed his shoulder, looking at Yoonhee with a dramatic frown.

"That actually hurt."

"Good."

Rosie was still laughing as she stepped around the counter and walked toward Yoonhee, opening her arms before pulling her into a hug.

"Hi."

Yoonhee's expression softened immediately as she hugged her back.

"There's my girl."

When they pulled apart, Yoonhee looked her over with an approving smile.

"And how is my favorite CEO doing?"

Rosie laughed.

"I'm not a CEO just yet."

"I know."

Yoonhee waved her off.

"But the more I say it, the more it's bound to come true."

Rosie shook her head, smiling.

"That's not how that works."

"Let an old woman dream."

She winked before turning back toward the register.

Rosie looked over at Jungkook, who was still watching her with that same soft smile.

"What?"

He shook his head.

"Nothing."

She narrowed her eyes playfully.

"You're staring again."

"I wasn't."

"You were."

Jungkook laughed, reaching for his apron strings.

"Is it your lunch already?"

Rosie glanced toward the clock and nodded.

"Yeah."

She picked up her bag again.

"Ready?"

Jungkook smiled.

"Always."

He untied his apron and hung it behind the counter before turning toward Yoonhee.

"Yoonhee, we're heading out now!"

Yoonhee waved a hand without looking up.

"Go already!"

Rosie laughed as she followed Jungkook toward the door.

The two stepped outside, leaving Yoonhee to watch them disappear down the sidewalk with a smile on her face.

Their first stop was the convenience store a few blocks away.

Neither of them had bothered to discuss where they were going.

They'd done this enough times that it had become routine.

Jungkook grabbed a sandwich from the refrigerator while Rosie wandered toward the drinks, eventually returning with two strawberry sodas in her hands.

She held one out toward him.

"I got yours."

He smiled as he took it.

"You know me too well."

"I'd hope so."

They paid and continued walking until the familiar trees of the park came into view.

Jungkook's pace naturally slowed.

There was something about this place that still carried a weight he couldn't quite explain.

It wasn't painful anymore.

Not in the way it once had been.

Now, it felt almost comforting.

Rosie walked toward the swings without saying anything, taking her usual place on the left.

Jungkook sat beside her, resting his sandwich in his lap as Rosie twisted the cap off her strawberry soda.

She took a long sip and smiled.

"I could never get tired of this."

Jungkook glanced over, taking a sip out of his.

"I know."

She smiled at him before taking another sip.

For a while, neither of them said anything.

The afternoon sun warmed the grass around them, and the sound of children playing somewhere in the distance filled the silence.

Everything felt normal.

Almost perfect.

Until Rosie finally looked over.

"What about the others?"

Jungkook's smile slowly faded.

He knew exactly what she meant.

He looked down at the sandwich in his hands, turning it over slightly as if suddenly finding the wrapper fascinating.

"The members."

He didn't answer immediately.

"I know you don't like talking about it." Rosie mentions, watching him.

Jungkook finally looked at her.

"But Jungkook..."

Her voice softened.

"They were a huge part of your life."

She paused.

"Way before me."

Jungkook looked back toward the trees.

"I know."

His voice was quiet as his thoughts began to get loud.

"I already went through hell trying to brush aside the fact that you might never remember me."

He let out a slow breath, his fingers tightening slightly around the sandwich.

"I can't go through the same thing with them. It'll hurt too much."

He took a bite of his sandwich, chewing for a moment before looking down again.

"What if the procedure only failed with you?"

Rosie stayed quiet.

"What if they're really gone, and they may actually never remember me?"

His voice cracked slightly.

"I don't want to get my hopes up."

He shook his head.

"I can't."

Rosie reached over and gently touched his arm.

"Baby."

Jungkook looked at her as she smiled softly.

"Slow down." She sighs, rubbing her hand up and down gently.

"I know you're scared."

He looked away before meeting eyes again as she continued.

"But you're not alone anymore."

For a moment, Jungkook didn't respond.

Those words had once been something he'd wished for without even realizing it.

Someone beside him.

Someone who wouldn't let him carry everything alone.

He finally looked at her again and let out a quiet sigh.

"Okay."

Rosie smiled.

"Okay?"

He nodded.

"Okay."

He leaned back against the swing.

"But even if we do try to find them..."

His eyebrows pulled together.

"How would we?"

Rosie thought for a moment, tapping her fingers lightly against her sandwich.

"You do realize Namjoon is literally just a phone call away, right? Him and Callie still live together. I could just call her and—"

"I don't want to take that risk."

The words came out quickly enough that Rosie stopped mid-sentence.

Jungkook kept his eyes on his sandwich, picking at the edge of the wrapper with his thumb as he tried to explain what he couldn't quite put into words.

"Especially with them." He added quietly. "I just... I don't know. Maybe this whole 'celebrity thing not existing anymore' is for the best."

Rosie's eyebrows pulled together.

"So what you're saying is, you don't want to talk to them because you think they'd be better off normal? You think they'd be better off not being noticed?"

Jungkook gave a small shrug, taking another bite of his sandwich as he stared ahead.

"Maybe."

Rosie studied him for a moment, her head slowly tilting to the side as that familiar knowing smile began to form.

"You do realize you're doing the thing again, right?"

Jungkook stopped chewing.

He turned toward her, already knowing exactly what she meant.

"What thing?"

"The thing where you decide what's best for someone without actually asking them what they want."

For a second, Jungkook just stared at her.

Then he looked away with a quiet sigh, because there really wasn't much he could say to that.

Rosie smiled to herself, watching him squirm.

"Are you going to keep using that against me?"

She laughed softly, nudging his shoulder with hers.

"If you do something as crazy as wiping out my entire memory of you again? Yeah. Absolutely."

Jungkook let out a laugh, shaking his head as he looked down at his sandwich.

"Okay, fair."

He took another bite before glancing back at her, his expression becoming more serious.

"But what if he's genuinely happy?"

"Namjoon?" Rosie asks

"Mhm."

Rosie shrugged, resting her elbows against her knees.

"He complains to me and Callie all the time about how he wishes he had a better job."

Jungkook's eyebrows lifted.

"Really?"

"Yeah." She smiled. "And, by the way, he does ask about you."

Jungkook's expression softened almost immediately.

"He does?"

Rosie nodded.

"Mhm. Both Callie and Namjoon have been dying to finally meet the amazing 'Peter' I've apparently been dating for a year."

Jungkook laughed under his breath.

"One year?"

"Well..." Rosie glanced at him, her smile turning playful. "That's what they think."

He shook his head, looking down for a moment before a small smile crept across his face.

"Best three..."

He paused, his eyes finding hers again.

"And what could've been four years of my life."

Rosie's expression softened.

"Yeah."

She leaned closer, her fingers brushing against his hand.

"Those too."

Before he could say anything else, she leaned over and kissed him.

Jungkook didn't hesitate.

His hand found hers as he kissed her back, the familiar warmth settling over him as he let himself forget, even if only for a moment, about everything waiting for them beyond the park.

When they finally pulled apart, Rosie stayed close, her forehead resting lightly against his.

"You know," She murmured "You don't have to be afraid of anything anymore."

Jungkook smiled faintly.

"I know."

"You have me now."

His fingers tightened gently around hers.

"I know."

"And I'm not going anywhere."

That made him laugh softly.

"You're really not letting me have the last word today, are you?"

"Nope."

She smiled.

"Definitely not."

Jungkook laughed again, shaking his head as he looked down at their intertwined hands.

For the first time since getting Rosie back, the thought of finding the others didn't feel quite as terrifying.

Maybe it was because she was sitting beside him.

Maybe it was because, unlike before, he wasn't going to make the decision for anyone else.

Whatever happened next, they'd face it together.

And for the first time, Jungkook wasn't trying to figure out how to live with what he'd lost.

He was finally figuring out what to do with what he'd gotten back.