A Year to Change Your Lives

Chapter 46

Reader hopped into the car, unaccustomed to sitting in the front seat, and to her mind, on the wrong side. She buckled herself in and grinned at Jungkook who was adjusting the mirrors to where he wanted them. She threw her small rucksack into the back, retaining her water and her phone for the journey ahead.

"Ready?" He asked, starting the engine.

"Ready." She told him, pulling her phone out to start running the sat nav, although he told her he knew most of the way.

He backed up then swung around and took them out of the driveway, waving at Jin and Namjoon who were still in their pyjamas but had waved them off like good big brothers.

They disappeared out of Jungkook's ken in the rear-view mirror as he took them out onto the main road.

"I feel like we're escaping." Reader said relaxing back into the large leather seat.

"I'll take us to an airport. We can run away." He told her, twisting the wheel round.

"Where do you want to go? I hear Hawaii's nice." Reader said absently, programming in their destination.

Jungkook confirmed the address.

"I want to eat the tuna they have there!"

"Honolulu it is!" Reader said triumphantly.

"I never think of you driving." She told him, observing his confidence behind the wheel, his summer bronzed arms manoeuvring them round the corner. "I haven't driven a car all year." She realised.

"You drove in Greece, on the beach." He pointed out.

"Those were dune buggies!" She reminded him smiling at the memory.

"I wish we could go to the beach today. I would like to show you the beach and go to Gamcheon and eat Milmyeon!"

"You know we only have about four hours there, right? And I think your parents might want to see you for most of it."

"They will be happy to have me home. I haven't been since spring."

Reader knew he hadn't seen his parents, except on video call, since June in the New York hospital he'd been taken to after the accident. Even now, she struggled to think of that terrible day without it turning her stomach over. Namjoon had painted a picture for them all later that evening of Jungkook's bloody and lifeless body being lifted out of the wreckage, and the image plagued her even now.

Since then she had clung to him all the more fiercely, but his parents, who were used to his absence, hadn't been able to.

Jungkook had badgered her a couple of times since then to make a plan to meet with them. Not that she had any say over their scheduling. She thought it strange, because he didn't seem particularly close with his family. But Jimin had told her it was a sign of respect, the proper thing to do, if they were serious about each other. They were serious about each other, she'd decided, so when they'd been shipped out to the fishing town of Pohang for a filmed retreat, she'd suggested the were close enough to slip away.

It would take them under two hours to drive there but they had to make the journey twice in one day to be back with the boys in their rented coastal before nightfall. The others were planning a dinner in honour of Jungkook's birthday, although he didn't know.

"Do you miss home?" She asked rolling her head to look at him again. The day was beautiful and he had light slanting across his face, irritating him but pleasing for her to look at.

"I miss the people that I know. I miss being able to walk without anyone seeing or knowing me. It is not really my home now."

"Seoul?" She asked. The roads they were driving were becoming wider and more industrial as he navigated them out of the town.