(authors note: slightly unedited. There may be slight word spelling/grammar mistakes please do inform me if you see anything 🥺❤️)
Its been a week.
There was no sign of you. Nor has any of your friends heard from you. They were worried. Extremely worried.
Your friends tried calling and texting you but your phone has been off. Your friends even tried visiting you but they were always sent home by your mom.
Xai was so worried that she sat by your desk hoping you would appear, she had even shed a few tears because after a long time she felt like she had a real friend. Even though Jackson and Xai were not on speaking terms, he would sneak glances at her just to make sure she was okay and it definitely hurt seeing his loved one in distress.
Xai has noticed that taehyung has been skipping school. He would go home if you didn't show during first period and he began to dissociate himself from everyone. It was sad. Your absence has put everyone in a solemn mood.
Bambam, youngjae, seokjin, jinyoung and hoseok tried to be there for their friends and tried cheering them up. Sky was worried as well but ignored everything that has been occurring to focus on school and get her mind off things.
Serendipity had to head back home to France due to a family emergency, so she had no idea of what was going on.
Namjoon had been texting you everyday, he knew you needed someone near you even if you weren't on your phone he still messaged you regardless.
Jungkook was a mess. He was worried something might have happen to you just like the last time. This repetition of episodes is starting to get to him. He thought you were finally trying to open up, only to be shoved back into your shell. He had a bad feeling someone did something to you, call it a gut feeling or his intuition, something has definitely happened and he is terrified that this is it. He will never see you again and you will isolate yourself from everyone. That thought terrified him, creating a sickly feeling in his mouth.
Jungkook bit his lower lip nervously as he walked into the canteen, eyes scanning for a blonde head. Spotting the person jungkook was after, he cleared his throat and walked to where the blonde was sitting.
"Jimin" jungkook muttered out his name. Jimin stared blankly at his plate of untouched food. Jimin...jimin looked like the life source has been sucked out of him, leaving him looking cold and pale.
Jungkook gazed at the side of jimins face waiting for jimin to acknowledge him. He was about to call out jimins name again until jimin turned his head and slowly looked up at jungkook. Jungkook had to suppress a gasp. Jimin was so pale, the dark rings under his eyes were clear as day and his eyes, his eyes were devoid from any emotion. The mischievous gleam in his eyes were gone, replaced with emptiness.
"Jungkook..." jungkook couldn't even recognize his voice by how hoarse it sounds. What happened to him? Has your disappearance made him so lifeless? Jungkook didn't know.
"What do I owe the pleasure?" Jimin forced a grin, but jungkook could clearly see how he is struggling to keep his smile.
"Have you heard from y/n?" Jungkook asked. Jimins eyes widened slightly as if he been punched in the gut. Well to Jimin it clearly felt like that, he quickly cleared his throat and glanced back to his untouched food.
"No"
"Did you call her?"
"No"
"Text her?"
"No, I-"
"Then what the fuck did you do then? Aren't you worried about her at all!?"
Jimin frowned, "Jungkook, I'm the last person in this world that y/n would want to talk to"
"But I thought you cared about her" jungkook rebutted.
"I do. And that's why I took care of the problem." Jimin sighs, turning his back towards jungkook, to say this is the end of their discussion, but jungkook wasn't done yet and he demanded to know what jimin meant by he took care of the problem.
"Jimin" A voice called out. Jungkook looked up to see jaebum standing next to jimin and by hearing his name jimin quickly got up and pulled up his bag from the ground and latched it onto his back, walking away.
"Jimin! We aren't done talking" jungkook shouted, following jimin out the canteen, with jaebum right behind them.
"Yes, we are" jimin muttered, turning around to face jungkook, almost bumping into him, but remained unfazed as jungkook took a step back. "Look, we can talk another time, just not here where there are ears everywhere"
There was definitely something Jimin was hiding, jungkook was not stupid to notice the evident plea in jimins eyes. With a stiff nod from jungkook, jimin left with jaebum next to him. When did they become friends? Jungkook thought, staring at their backs until they turned down a corridor.
So many secrets. But all jungkook could hope is that you were okay.
___
"Are you going to tell him the truth?" Jaebum asked, sitting in his desk chair of his room and jimin sat on his bed.
"He deserves to know what happened"
"And everyone else?"
Jimin shook his head. "I think it would be best to not let everyone know. Y/n might not like everyone knowing"
Jaebum hummed agreeing with jimin. "Have you...heard from her?" Jaebum asked carefully, not wanting to accidentally trigger Jimin. Since they been working together, jimin has been having major anger tantrums when it revolves around you. One day they were looking into Skys profile and found that you and sky were in the same school as kids until she suddenly disappeared. That made jimin frown because he thought she was your best friend. Jimin even dug through Skys family background and found images of both of you as kids. He had a small smile on his lips seeing how cute you were as a kid. Soft round cheeks, smiling innocently at the camera.
The smile was gone as soon as it came because under that information was news on your parents. The headline read:DRUNK HUSBAND STABS WIFE AND ATTEMPTS TO KILL HIS CHILDREN
Jimin was shocked. His heart thumped rapidly against his ribcage, feeling sick, he continued to read the story of what happened to you and your mother. Why... Why would anyone do such a thing? Jimin couldn't imagine how hurt you must have felt. A child seeing their father that they looked up to half their life, suddenly disappear. This is too much for a child to bare. Jimin couldn't handle it, he felt a vile taste in his mouth, hands clenched in a tight fist.
Jaebum was behind him when he read what had happened after seeing jimins reaction. And just like jimin, Jaebum felt his heart drop. What they both learnt after that, was that your father was still in jail. You and Sky attended the same middle school and what Jaebum assumed that sky came back for a reason because he has noticed that sky being close with taehyung was her way of trying to get to talk to you. Jimin nodded at this, agreeing with Jaebums assumption.
"It's strange, why does jungkook care for y/n?" jaebum thought out loudly which jimin perked his ears to this. "Do you think they were something in the past?"
"Perhaps," jimin murmured, turning to face jaebum. "He could just care for her like taehyung" It made sense to jimin, taehyung only met y/n within this year of high school. Taehyung just loved having fun with everyone when he first started 8th grade but now as he got older he just kept to himself. Jimins hypothesis is that he just wanted a real friend and he felt that with y/n.
"I say we look at jungkooks profile" jaebum said, stretching, lifting himself up from his chair and sitting up straight. Jaebum turned around to his desk, opened his laptop and began to search on jungkooks name and background. "Jimin, come here"
Jimin got off jaebums bed and stood behind him, leaning forward to catch a better look at what jaebums was looking at. Jimin frowned upon what he was seeing, "Jungkook as a kid?" jimin questioned and glanced down at the name of the school he attended. "It's the same as y/n"
"Bingo" jaebum said and began to click more. "Wait, hold on" jimin stopped jaebum and told him to go back to the previous image. "That boy looks oddly familiar" jaebum voiced.
Jimin already knew who the boy was the second he saw the boys monotonous stare that is similar to his friend. "That boy... " jaebum looked up at him waiting for him to continue. Jimin pointed to his name that was under the class group photo to his solo photo.
"Is yoongi"
___
A sweet melody chimed across the half filled café. The music played softly but still manages to reach out to the tired souls.
Either way no matter what mood one is in music has a way to calm ones soul. That's the effect of music right? Whether your having a bad day or completely fine people always seem to reach out to music in way they can escape their reality. Whether it be books, drugs, smoking, drinking etc. People always reach out to objects or others in a sort of comfort.
Anything to help them escape their reality.
Xai is immersed deeply into the music as she tried to escape her reality for a little while, until she talks to the one person, whom she had betrayed and dreaded to speak to. She hummed to the music, imagining herself in a open field, sun shining beautifully in the clear blue sky as she ran freely without anything holding her back.
To just be free and not worry about what she wants to do with her life or disappointing her parents and hurting those she cares for.
This endless worry encrypted in her like a never ending war. She sighs feeling that same feeling each time she is alone with her thoughts.
A desperate need to just cry.
To let all her worries sink in the depths of her thoughts.
She can't remember the last time she actually felt...free.
"Daydreaming again?"
"Of you? Yes" Xai smirked looking up at her boyfriend with a playful gleam.
Jackson rolls his eyes and scoffs, a sarcastic smile etching his lips. "You and I both know that ain't true" jackson said as he took the seat across from Xai.
Xai sighed, letting out a dry laugh. She looked up at jackson, feeling her heart string tug witnessing the dark bruises under jacksons eyes from the countless sleepless nights. His beautiful skin now looked pale and hair disheveled. He gazed down at the wooden table, fingers fiddling with a sugar packet, not wanting to look at Xai.
"How have you been?" Xai asked hesitantly, already regret asking as jackson gave her a dead look and forced a smile onto his tired face.
"Great, actually! Recently found out from my girlfriend that she cheated on me with one of my close friends. You know just the norm. Oh! And did I forget too mention she was drunk? But not totally drunk to stop herself from kissing another man."
Well...that stung Xai immensely. It felt like she had been slapped in the face. She felt extremely guilty for what she did but for him to just say it like that made her feel a tad pissed.
"Jackson. I'm really sorry for what I did. You didn't deserve that and i- fuck I just want you back please."
Xai cleared her throat, rubbing her sweaty hands together, she sat up straight and took a few deep breathes before saying what has been on her mind for the past few days.
"Jackson, what I have done to you was wrong. I regret doing it every single day. After I told you the truth, it didn't make me feel any better. I couldn't stop thinking about how much I hurt you and that you don't deserve this" Xai exhaled, letting herself breath. She looked up at jackson, his face stern but eyes soft. "I am really sorry for what I did. I truly am. I take full accountability for what I did. I don't expect you to forgive me anytime soon but just know I still love you and whatever decision you make right now I will accept it."
Jackson was speechless. His thoughts were scattered as he listened to everything Xai has said. She was sorry, he could clearly see that. That made his heart twinge in his chest, preparing himself on what to say.
"I... I don't think we should be together anymore." Jackson gently spoke, the whole of his demeanor calm and just physically tired. Xai was stunned. It felt like her heart was physically ripped out of her chest removing her lifeline.
Xai was quick to respond without thinking clearly of what she just said, "But...I apologized. You really don't want to be with me anymore?"
"Xai, you really don't understand how I feel do you?" Jackson sighed, feeling his heart sink deeper.
"I do, I do understand! I love you!"
"If you truly loved me, why did you kiss taehyung?"
Xai couldn't answer.
Why did she want to kiss taehyung that night? Was it because she found him attractive? Or the fact that she wanted someone else's attention? Xai was lost for words. Upon seeing Xais reaction, jackson felt in him it was right to let each other go.
"Why do I feel like you are only apologizing to satisfy yourself." Jackson whispered his thoughts aloud.
"That's not true...and you know it" Xai let a single droplet fall from her eye as she blinked.
Jackson let out a shakey breath, "I love you. I really do, but I can't do this. You deserve to be free, Xai. You being with me is not making you happy." Jackson took Xais hand in his, holding it tightly, "I promise I won't be sappy and say because I love you I must let you go, no." He sadly chuckles, "You were never mine to begin with. I don't own you and you don't own me, although we were always together since we were kids I think it's time for us to grow up and follow our own paths. You are never alone Xai, I will always be your shadow and you will always be my light. We promised to be with each other even if we are physically torn apart, we would come back to each other" Jackson smiled, wiping Xais cheeks. "Don't cry... A man should never make a woman cry"
Jackson suppressed his own tears gathering the courage to stand up and pull Xai into a embrace.
"I'm sorry" Xai hiccuped, "I'm sorry"
"Shh-I know, it's going to be okay" Jackson soothed Xai and gently patted her head. Xai began to cry more in his embrace, not caring if people around her are staring. Her soulmate, her first love is letting her go. He is letting her go for her to persue her own path in life and that broke something in her. Jackson understood her and she knew this goes way beyond her kissing taehyung, jackson just knew he wasn't the one and that Xai needed that push to focus on herself.
"I love you" Xai whispered, holding jackson tighter, too afraid that if she loosens her grip he will disappear from her life, forever.
Jackson held her just as tightly, tears streaming down his face, he buried his face into Xais hair and softly kissed her cheek.
"I love you too."
____________________________________________
I really wanted this to be realistic as possible and I hoped the readers could feel the love Xai and Jackson have for each other.
Love isn't perfect and sometimes it may not always work out. But that love will never disappear in our hearts, we will always care and that I think is somewhat beautiful.
The thought that love and hate co-exist with each other and that it takes so much energy to hate someone as well as to love someone-gosh I feel like I should stop otherwise I will rant lol.
There are so many things happening and I'm trying my best to come up with a way to end this book beautifully.
It's been a while and I hope everyone is well 🥺
Let's hope y/n is okay in the next chapter!
Love you all, until next time! 💜