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~•~•--- CHAPTER 12 ---•~•~
Jungkook disappeared the next day.
He didn’t leave a message. Didn’t answer her calls.
The only thing Mishti heard was the distant roar of his bike as he sped away, vanishing into the morning mist.
She knew where he was going—not a place, but a feeling. He was running.
Like he always did.
---
Jungkook rode for hours, the wind slashing against his face, his thoughts an uncontrollable storm.
He was angry. At the universe for being so cruel. At Mishti for keeping the truth from him.
At himself.
He should have seen it. The fatigue in her eyes. The way she sometimes clutched her chest when she thought he wasn’t looking. The medicine bottles she always kept hidden.
He should have known.
The speedometer climbed higher.
100.
120.
140.
Maybe if he went fast enough, he could outrun the ache in his chest.
But no matter how far he rode, how recklessly he turned corners, how loudly the wind roared past his ears—he couldn’t drown out her words.
"I didn’t want you to look at me like I was already gone."
Jungkook’s grip tightened on the handles.
He hated this.
He hated that no matter how fast he went, fate still raced ahead, laughing cruelly, reminding him that for the first time in his life, speed wouldn’t save him.
So when he finally pulled over, exhausted, breathing hard, he realized the truth—
He couldn’t run from this.
And he didn’t want to.
---
Mishti sat by the lake, her arms wrapped around her knees, staring blankly at the rippling water.
This place used to feel magical. Their escape.
Now, it just felt empty.
She had prepared herself for heartbreak. She had expected him to walk away. To leave.
Maybe it was better this way. Maybe Jungkook deserved to be free of me before I shattered completely.
The sound of footsteps pulled her from her thoughts.
She didn’t need to turn around. She knew it was him.
And then, suddenly, his arms were around her.
Tight. Desperate. Like he was afraid she would disappear if he let go.
Mishti’s breaths unevenly. "Jungkook…"
He buried his face into her shoulder. "If you only have months left," he whispered, voice thick with emotion, "then let’s make them unforgettable."
Mishti’s heart clenched. Tears spilled down her cheeks, her fingers trembling as she clutched his jacket. "You’re not mad?"
Jungkook let out a shaky breath. "I’m furious," he admitted. "I hate this. I hate that I can’t do anything. I hate that you didn’t tell me sooner."
He pulled back just enough to look at her, his dark eyes glistening. "But I love you more than I hate this fate."
A broken sob escaped her lips.
And then she was kissing him, pouring every ounce of love, of fear, of desperation into him.
Jungkook held her as if he could keep her alive with the sheer force of his love. As if holding her tighter could make time stop.
They both knew it wouldn’t.
But for now, in this moment, love was enough.
And just like that, they chose to love in the face of the inevitable.
