Fire and Ice

Chapter Twelve

Jisung's POV

After everything Bonnie had told us about Ollie, I felt bad. Not just because of what they had been through, but because I had blamed them, too. It angered me to see my best friend so hurt and heartbroken. I wanted to give Ollie a piece of my mind and tell them how wrong they were but now?

Jade and I strolled hand in hand along the banks of the Han River. The soft breeze rustled through the trees, carrying the sweet scent of blooming flowers. We found the perfect spot under a shady tree and spread out our picnic blanket. The weather wasn't too cold, a shiver running down my spine as the cold breeze tried to penetrate the hoodie I wore. I watched as Jade unpacked the basket, pulling out some of my favorite foods as she smiled. We'd take turns feeding each other or making each other laugh and for a moment, I had forgotten about the situation with two of our friends.

We were laying out on the blanket, Jade's head on my chest, as I closed my eyes and enjoyed how warm her arm felt as it snaked underneath my shirt and rested over my torso.

"Now that I have plied you with all your favorite foods, are you ready to tell me what's wrong?"

I shook my head with a hum. Everything felt so good right now, I didn't want to ruin it.

"Ji, whatever it is, you know you can tell me, right?" Jade said as she looked up at me.

"I know I can, jagiya. But I think that now is not the time to talk about it."

Jade looked away before snuggling into my side as she shivered. I pulled her closer as I wrapped my free arm around her and turned so we were facing each other. She smiled before closing her eyes and nuzzling into my chest.

I'm not entirely sure when I fell in love with this girl, but as I held her in my arms with my chin resting on her head, I knew that there was no one else for me. She was so bright compared to me and it made me feel like I could be that way too.

Since we met, I've felt better than I had in a long time. My anxiety wasn't as difficult to deal with as it usually was. Any time it would flare up, Jade knew exactly how to bring me back down. She kept me grounded to myself. But as we lay here, I could feel the pressure building in my chest. Everything happening with Changbin snapped back into the forefront of my mind. I tried my best to pull it back in, but the harder I tried, the worse it got.

My hands began to tingle and my heart pounded in my ears as the world fell away and all I could feel was the pressure that was still building in my chest. Thoughts of Ollie and Changbin clashed around in my head. The world began to sway and my lungs grew tighter. I must have frozen where I lay because the next thing I knew, I was snapped out of my head and my breathing slowed down as the darkness faded away and Jade's face appeared in front of me.

"Ji? Are you okay?" she asked, her eyes wide and I could feel how hard her hands shook as she held my face. She looked at me with so much fear in her eyes and it hurt me to see her so worried.

I took a deep shaky breath before pulling her into me and hugging her tightly. "I'm fine. I'm sorry for making you worry."

Jade pulled away and we locked eyes as her face softened. "Never apologize. I'm just glad you're okay."

Her hand found the back of my neck as she leaned in and pressed her lips to mine. The feeling of her lips against mine helped me settle back into reality. I felt horrible for putting her through this. She didn't deserve to have to deal with my mental illness anytime it presented itself. She shouldn't have to worry about me every time it happens. My mind began to spiral yet again and I felt my chest start to tense, but before it could go any further, Jade was kissing me again.