𝑯𝑶𝑴𝑬 ( Bᴛs Fᴀɴ ғɪᴄᴛɪᴏɴ )

chapter 74

"Can we talk? Properly? Let me drive you home." his voice sounded desperate. Because he was.

"I'm not supposed to go home until tomorrow night. I've got to work on our research," she told him. "And, we have nothing to talk about. Nothing good comes out when we talk. You should know that by now."

"I have so much to tell you," he mumbled.

"I really don't care," Areum spoke softly, her voice trembling not because she was sad and felt bad for him. She was genuinely over him.

"My life had been good without you. When we were friends, all I did was think about you, do what made you happy and make the world nicer for you. Back then, I didn't think about anyone else but you and I can't do that anymore. I've got patients to prioritize now," she said.

Jungkook gently reached one of her hands. "I'm not asking you to prioritize me, I never did. I just want you beside me, Areum. Through good and bad."

She let out a frustrated sigh, of course none of his words would convince her of anything. He ruined too much already. . . all the more he wanted to work harder to get her back. This time would be different, he won't let anyone else tell him what was wrong and right, who to see and not see behind cameras. . . perhaps this time around, his fans would understand. . .

He waited years to finally go after his safe place.

"Why now?" she suddenly asked. "Why did it take you five years to come after me? You had three years before your enlistment, three years of me hoping every day you'd come and tell me I made the wrong decision to let you go because that's how we were. We're mad one second and sorry on the other. You could have came after our friendship in those three years and I could have waited for you until you're ready. . . I only gave up on you once because I was hurt and you made it look so easy to let go of what we had. You gave up on us first."

Areum frowned slightly before pulling her head down in defeat, probably regretting how much time she spent talking when she had told him she didn't want to talk in the first place. . . but that was a good thing, there was still a part of her that wanted them fixed.

"You can't just walk back into my life, Jungkook. It's not fair."

"I know, I'm sorr—"

She cuts him off with a displeased scoff, "Is that why you dated Iris for two years and went public with it after your breakup? You can't flaunt me but you were so proud of being with Iris? So much for wanting to protect me when you know that's the biggest insult you could ever pull on me."

Jungkook felt his nostrils sucked in, his eyes hot from tears threatening to spill.

"So much for not wanting to commit, don't you think?" she added.

"Iris knew all too well both of us will never have what we had. She could never be you." Jungkook spoke loudly of his thoughts.

"No, Jungkook. I could never be her. I'm not your first love so you won't run back to me every time we part ways." Areum emphasized.

"Does it matter who I met first and had feelings for?" he said a little louder. "It's you I want at the end of the day. It's always been you. I'm sorry I didn't fight for you sooner. I'm sorry I hurt you, but I'm here now and I plan to never leave you again when things get tough for both of us. . . I realized it's better to face it together than separately. What we had then was all I ever wanted and asked for but. . . right now, I want something more. I want you to be the last person I see before I sleep and the first person I wake up to in the morning. If I met you sooner, there was no way I'd have fallen in love with anyone else. . . not even Iris."

For a second he thought Areum would give in and take him back as her eyes bore deep into his and there was that feeling he was looking for all those years he wasted—the feeling of content and affection from her end.

Her furrowed eyebrows relaxed and the anger on her face was replaced with her usual calm and loving but also fearless expression—the kind where she'd risk it all.

For a second he thought the Areum he knew resurfaced again, fierce yet warm, firm but gentle.

"Ready to go?" a tall figure placed its arm on the small of her back. There was no space between them as Areum returned to her composed and fragile features—the kind that looked like she needed saving and wanted it. She was different when he was with Lee Seung Jae.

Jungkook felt his fist tightened as he restrained himself from pulling her back from the man who had developed a hobby of getting in the way between him and Areum. His presence alone made her the person she hate.

"I'll catch up with you," she informed the man with a soft smile.

Lee Seung Jae returned just as warm a smile  before glancing briefly at Jungkook, completely ignoring his familiar face and status. He then gave Areum a gentle and assuring squeeze on her shoulder before walking past Jungkook.

"You managed to get by for five years without me. You'll do just fine on the next ones." Areum insisted and avoided eye contact with Jungkook.

She soon stepped away from him and caught up with Lee Seung Jae without turning back to look at Jungkook one last time.

The guy gently placed his hand loosely around her shoulder as they walked away together.

He wouldn't manage to live just fine for more years without her. She was—and always will be his beginning and end. . . and he thought he was hers.