Rival's Kiss || Jeon Jungkook × OC || 18+

Chapter 55

Rain still whispered against the stone arches of the courtyard as their kiss slowly softened into something quieter, deeper. What had begun as a desperate collision of lips eased into a lingering closeness, a gentle brushing of breath against breath. Jungkook rested his forehead against Amelia’s, both of them breathless, their chests rising and falling in the same uneven rhythm, as if their bodies were still learning how to exist in the fragile peace that followed confession.

For a moment, neither spoke.

The world felt suspended around them. The rain blurred the edges of the courtyard into a hazy curtain, the lanterns flickering faintly through the mist. Amelia could feel the warmth of his skin despite the cold water soaking through their clothes, and the contrast made her acutely aware of every point where they touched. Her fingers were still curled lightly into the fabric of his jacket, unwilling to release the proof that he was real and still there.

Then Jungkook pulled her into his arms.

It wasn’t the desperate clutch from before, not the grasp of someone terrified of losing his last lifeline. This hug was steady, grounding. His arms wrapped around her with a quiet certainty, his chin resting lightly atop her head while her face pressed against his chest. Amelia could hear his heartbeat, strong and rapid beneath her ear. The sound wrapped around her like warmth, like a promise spoken without words.

“I will not hurt you again,” Jungkook murmured into her damp hair. His voice was low and solemn, vibrating softly through his chest and into her cheek. “Even if the world stands against us… I swear I will stand beside you.”

The words settled deep inside her, easing a tight knot she hadn’t realized she’d been carrying. Amelia tightened her hold on him, her fingers bunching in the wet fabric at his back. The rain soaked through them both, trickling down her neck and into her collar, but inside his embrace she felt strangely sheltered, as if the storm could rage forever and never quite reach her.

“And I promise,” she whispered back, her voice trembling with sincerity and a hint of awe at her own courage, “that I won’t run from this. From you. No matter how frightening it becomes.”

Jungkook exhaled shakily. The breath left him like the release of a long-held burden, his shoulders dropping a fraction as if that promise alone eased a wound he’d carried for too long. His arms tightened briefly around her in silent gratitude.

They stood like that, wrapped in each other and in the rain, letting the seconds stretch and soften. Amelia closed her eyes and listened — to his heartbeat, to the steady hush of rainfall, to the faint echo of her own pulse answering his. For the first time in weeks, her thoughts were quiet.

Until—

“Achoo!”

The sudden sneeze shattered the stillness. Amelia jerked slightly in his arms, her nose scrunching as another shiver rippled through her. For a heartbeat there was stunned silence, and then realization dawned on both their faces at the same time.

Jungkook leaned back just enough to look at her properly. Water clung to her lashes and the tip of her nose was pink from the cold. “You’re freezing,” he said, concern instantly sharpening his tone.

Only now did Amelia seem to notice how thoroughly soaked she was. Her dress clung uncomfortably to her skin, heavy with rain, and her hair hung in damp strands down her back. A more violent shiver shook her shoulders.

“We’ve been standing in the rain like fools,” Jungkook muttered, though a faint, affectionate smile tugged at his lips. He reached up and brushed a wet strand of hair from her face with careful fingers. “Come. We shouldn’t stay here any longer.”