Closer Than This...(vsoo)

18.

"Jungkook, I... I don't know what to say," she stammered, her voice shaking with uncertainty. "I never thought about you like that."

His face fell slightly, but he quickly masked it with a forced smile. "It's okay, Jisoo. I just wanted you to know how I feel. And I get it if you don't feel the same way."

Jisoo swallowed, her mind racing. This was not how she had imagined the evening going. Jungkook's confession hung heavily in the air, again, and for a moment, all she could do was stare at him.

"I don't want things to change between us," she said softly, her voice barely audible. "But I need to focus on what's ahead. On making things right for my family."

Jungkook nodded, though his expression was a mixture of resignation and hurt. "I understand. But just know, I'm not going anywhere, Jisoo. I'm always going to be here for you. Even if... even if it's hard."

There was a long silence between them, the weight of the moment heavy and thick. Jisoo felt the space between them grow, the distance widening, and it hurt in a way she didn't fully understand.

Jungkook wasn't just her best friend anymore. He was someone who had given her a piece of his heart, and she had no idea what to do with it.

"I should go," he finally said, breaking the silence. "It's getting late."

Jisoo nodded, watching him as he grabbed his jacket and turned toward the door. "Good night, Jungkook."

He paused for a moment, then gave her one last look, his eyes soft but filled with unsaid words. "Good night, Jisoo."

As the door clicked shut behind him, Jisoo sank back into the couch, her heart heavy with the weight of everything that had just happened.

She hadn't expected this, hadn't expected to find herself at this crossroads between loyalty to her family, the engagement with Taehyung, and her complicated feelings toward Jungkook.

She was more lost than ever, but one thing was clear: the path ahead wasn't going to be easy for any of them.

Jisoo stood at the doorway, her hand lingering on the handle as she heard her aunt's excited voice from the living room. The warmth of the house, combined with her aunt's enthusiasm, felt like a stark contrast to the storm that had just unfolded inside her mind.

"Jisoo, you're home!" her aunt's voice rang out, filled with excitement. "How did it go? Have you and Taehyung picked out your wedding dress yet? Oh, I can't wait for the wedding preparations to start!"

Jisoo stepped inside, offering a tight smile as she closed the door behind her. Her aunt was all smiles, clearly oblivious to the internal battle Jisoo was fighting.

She didn't have the energy to deal with her aunt's overly eager questions today, but she couldn't hide everything either.

"The dresses are...still being decided on," Jisoo replied, keeping her tone neutral. "It's a bit overwhelming, honestly."

Her aunt beamed, oblivious to the fact that Jisoo's heart wasn't fully in the waves of her excitement, and certainly not in the marriage that was supposed to follow. "I knew it would be, dear. But everything will work out perfectly. You two are a match made in heaven, don't you think? I can already picture the grand wedding."

Jisoo's fingers tightened around her purse. She didn't want to hear about the wedding, the one that was based on lies and manipulations, one she hadn't asked for but had been pushed into.

But she had learned by now to suppress her feelings when it came to her aunt. If she was going to survive this, she needed to play along, just as she had with Taehyung.

"Yeah," Jisoo said softly, her gaze flickering toward the window. "It'll be fine."

Her aunt gave her an approving look before stepping closer, lowering her voice to a conspiratorial whisper. "You know, I was talking to Taehyung's uncle earlier, and he's absolutely thrilled about your upcoming marriage. You're really going to help elevate the family name, Jisoo. I'm so proud of you."

Jisoo's smile faltered for a brief second, but she quickly recovered. "I'm glad they're happy."

Her aunt beamed, unaware of the lie she had just uttered. "Of course, they are! I think this marriage will turn out to be even more successful than we anticipated. A little patience, dear, and it'll all fall into place. You'll see."

Jisoo nodded, but inside, she felt the weight of her choices. This wasn't a love story; it was a carefully constructed game, one where she would use every piece to backfire against the real culprit.

But she wasn't going to tell her aunt that. Not yet, at least. Not after everything that had already happened between them.

"I need to rest for a bit," Jisoo said, breaking the silence that had hung in the air. "It's been a long day."

Her aunt, still thrilled with the idea of the wedding, didn't seem to notice the distance in her voice. "Of course, darling. Get some rest. Big things are ahead, I just know it!"

Jisoo gave a half-hearted smile and walked past her aunt toward her room, her mind racing.

She needed to keep playing this charade, but she couldn't help but wonder how much longer she could keep up the act before everything unraveled.