reign ✓

epilogue

even when the dark and rough waves pass by

I won't ever get swept away again

'' You and I would've never worked, Jeon Jungkook. '' 

'' Keep telling yourself that, '' the boy confidently replied and smirked. He slowly ran his hand through his dark curls, in one last attempt to show off his good looks and make me change my mind. I couldn't deny that he looked good, sitting on the window sill of the Elite Club's hangout room, illuminated by the strong sunlight and with his shirt lightly fluttering in the wind, but my heart already belonged to someone else. '' Whatever helps you sleep at night. But we're going to happen one day. I'm sure of it. You better get ready. It's inevitable. ''

My arms were folded on my chest, I was leaning against the wall by his side and watching him with a thoughtful expression on my face. '' Do you know why I always liked Rowoon more than you? '' 

He bit his lower lip, but he barely managed to hold back his amused laughter. '' First, you break my heart and now, you're gonna stomp on the pieces too? '' 

'' With him, I always knew. ''

'' Knew what? '' Jungkook asked, his smile faltering.

I shrugged and mumbled: '' Everything that seemed uncertain when I was with you. Rowoon wears his heart on the palm of his hand, but you're like me. You get scared when you feel real emotions and you try to hide them before anyone would notice that you're just human and try to hurt you. '' 

I heard someone approaching the club room, but I didn't need to turn around to know that it was Rowoon. I already recognized him from the sound of his footsteps. 

He pressed a kiss on my forehead before he swung his arm around my shoulders, rested his cheek on top of my head and looked at Jungkook. '' What are you and my girlfriend talking about? '' 

My heart jumped at the sound of that word, while Jungkook rolled his eyes and mumbled: '' Girlfriend? You just love rubbing that in my face, don't you? '' 

Vernon, Bambam and Eunwoo suddenly appeared at the door of the club room, one more panicked than the other. '' Someone has a video of that time when we carried drunk Eunwoo out of the Palace nightclub and they're threatening to send it to his father! ''

'' My birthday is just around the corner! '' Eunwoo exclaimed in desperation. '' I don't need my father to get mad at me now! He promised to buy me an island this year! ''

Jungkook jumped off the window sill that he was sitting on and smiled. '' Time to get in action! '' 

Bambam clapped in excitement. '' Hell yeah! I was already looking forward to spending summer vacation on Eunwoo's private island this year! ''

Jungkook stuck his hands in his pockets and strolled out of the club room. Eunwoo, Vernon and Bambam all headed after him. That left just Rowoon and I, all alone. He looked at me, held out his hand and raised his eyebrows in question. '' Are you ready? '' 

I returned his smile, kissed his cheek and grabbed his hand. We headed after the other guys and marched down the busy hallway of our university. A lot changed after the night when I almost went through with my plan and killed Eunwoo's father. It took time before him and the other guys regained their trust in me, but eventually, they accepted me back in their group. They were all haunted by their own demons and they understood how sometimes, those demons won and we ended up doing something stupid. 

Besides, we were united against a common cause - detective Byun Baekhyun. After I tricked him and he lost the only leverage that he had against us, him and Park Chanyeol dedicated the majority of their time to bothering us in our illegal activities and searching for evidence that would put us behind bars. Up to now, they had yet to find anything that would be strong enough to defeat us and Jungkook's genius lawyer Kim Namjoon. 

My relationship with Rowoon was also going a lot better than I expected to. He helped me let go of the trauma from my past and find a new purpose in life. On some days, he was the one that took my firsts. He'd take me to an overpriced brunch, a family vacation or a wedding, where we'd kiss under heart-shaped decorations and fantasize about our future. On other days, I was the one that took his firsts instead, when I took him to a second-hand clothing store or showed him my favorite cheap fast food restaurant, that had grease dripping from the french fries and dead rats in the trash cans. 

Family comes in all shapes and sizes. Mine wore crown tattoos and dominated a rich social circle that I once despised. Sometimes I still did. It was easy to hate on rich people until I fell in love with one of them and became friends with a few others. Now, I understood that it was wrong of me to single them out like that. They weren't all bad, just like the rest of us weren't all good. At the end of the day, we were all the same - just people. 

Flesh and bone, looking for our home under the sun, looking to be loved. 

THE END