Four men sat across from each other at the table. Cards laid out on the table. It was 2v2 and the game was coming to an end. One man seemed really nervous while the other three were confident that they were gonna win. The older who was nervous spoke out to their partner who looked very young, whispering in their ear.
"Taehyung, I don't think we're gonna win this."
"Relax Bogum," Taehyung whispered back. "Trust me on this."
The two men across from them smirked. The tall man whispered to the shorter one saying, "We are definitely going to win this game. They're not even confident about their play." The shorter guy smirks at his response. Taehyung stares at the man in front of him while Bogum was sweating next to him with his hands over his eyes. The taller man laid out his cards on the table and high fives the other man. Bogum says, "We lost didn't we? I knew we shouldn't have played."
"Well, best friend," Taehyung says. "Don't feel too discouraged cause we just won. Three Aces."
Bogum uncovers his eyes and they widen in shock along with the other two men. Taehyung and Bogum jump out their seats and start dancing. The two men hang their heads down in shame. Suddenly they heard the horn coming from the ship. Warning whoever was getting on the ship better board now. Taehyung and Bogum quickly grab their things and the tickets they just won and head out the bar, running towards the entrance to the ship. They hand their tickets to the man there and they get inside. They quickly get to the end of the ship and look over the railing at the people below. They both waved at the people saying their goodbyes to them. They sit on one of the benches and sigh.
"Aren't you glad we won the game?" Taehyung asked Bogum.
"YOU won the game. I was just nervous the entire time," Bogum says. "But yeah. I'm glad we won. I never been on a big boat like this before. I've never been on a boat period."
"I have."
"You have what?"
"I've been on a boat before. It was much smaller than this though. It was before I lost everything. My parents took me on one. Let's not talk about it and get to our rooms."
Taehyung grabs Bogum's hand and runs inside.
On The Other Side
A young man dressed in sweatpants and sweatshirt sat near his window looking out at the sea. He looked calm staring out at the sea. Looking out at it always seemed to make him calm. Just then, he hears his name being called. Which he rolls his eyes at. It was his mother calling him, but he ignores her until she comes into the room with her arms crossed over her chest.
"Jungkook, I have been calling your name for a while," Mrs. Jeon says. "You need to get ready."
"What for?" Jungkook asked not looking at her.
"We need to meet up with your father and meet some of his friends. Now get ready and put on something proper."
Mrs. Jeon looked at the clothes he had on in disgust before leaving the room. Jungkook sighs before getting up and changing into expensive clothes which he was always uncomfortable in. He never liked wearing these kinds of things. He walks out his room to see his mother waiting for him. They both walk together to the dining area. Jungkook spots his father and runs over to him like a young child going to their dad after they come back from work. He immediately hug him tight. Mrs. Jeon walks up and scolds Jungkook about being proper and stop acting like a child. But Mr. Jeon stops her from talking any further. Jungkook has always loved his dad more than his mother. His mother was always about being proper and acting like a man. She always made rules for him to follow to become a man and if he did something that she didn't deem a man, he would be punished. While his father was loose. He was more like Jungkook, free and sometimes childish. But when work needed to be done, he was serious. Jungkook waited to be more like him than his mother. His father always seemed free to him and didn't really care about others' opinions. That's what Jungkook loves about him. Whenever Mrs. Jeon would scold Jungkook, Mr. Jeon would jump in and safe the day.
During the whole dinner with his family and his father's business partners, Jungkook felt really bored. He was never really interested in business. He would rather take up photography, but because of his mother, he never got the chance to study it. His father knew about his passion and would have someone teach him about cameras secretly. He told Mrs. Jeon that the person was just a tutor to help him study business so they wouldn't get in trouble.
Mrs. Jeon notices Jungkook's bored look and ignores it, but rolls her eyes at her son's behavior. Then a woman at the table ask Mrs. Jeon a question.
"Mrs. Jeon, with how handsome your son is, it's a wonder why he doesn't have a wife yet."
Mrs. Jeon smiles and says, "Don't worry. He'll getting one soon. Once he get to our destination, he'll have his wife waiting for him."
"What?" Jungkook says in shock. "What wife?"
"You have a wife. Her name is Sarah Winfred."
"Her? No. I'm not marrying that woman. She's not my type."
"Jungkook, she is a nice girl and you will have her to wife."
"I don't know your definition of nice, but that girl is not nice. I don't want to marry her."
"Jeon Jungkook, you will be marrying this girl. You don't get to decided who you marry. I do. All you ever do is sit around and be childish. Grow up."
"If growing up means I have to be like you, I rather stay a child than become you. Hell, I would rather die."
Jungkook stands up, knocking over the chair in the process and leaves the dining hall. Everyone heard their conversation and were whispering among themselves. Mr. Jeon stood up to go find Jungkook along with a couple guards. Jungkook runs to the back of the boat and stood by the railing. He stares out into the night. His grip on the railing tightens and he lets out an angry scream. Then he starts kicking the boxes next to him. After a while, he calms down. Then he thinks back to his life ever since he was a kid. His mother wouldn't even let him be a kid when he was suppose to. She tried to make him grow up faster, so he never really experienced what other kids did. He felt as if he had enough of it. He wanted to leave, disappear from his mother's sight and never come back. He looks down at the water below and starts climbing over the railing. He stood on the other side, holding onto the railing for support. Just as he closed his eyes and was about to jump, a voice called out to him. It surprised him and he almost slipped. He turns around to find a young man about his age or older. He was dressed in poor looking clothes, so Jungkook figured he was from the lower class. He looked up at his face and noticed how handsome he was. The man spoke again.
"Don't jump," he says.
"Why shouldn't I?" Jungkook dared.
"That water is freezing cold. Even if you jump, you'll freeze to death and no one would be able to help."
"So what? That's what I want."
"Why?"
"What?"
"Why do you want to jump?"
That question shocked Jungkook. Never has anyone really asked why he did things. They just asume the reason. They don't even ask or try to find the real reason. They just make things up as to why he does what he does. Then Jungkook says, "It's none of your business. Go away."
"I can't. I'm a part of this now. If you jump, I'll jump in after you," the young man said as he took off his jacket. Jungkook just stares at the young man's defined body. He was buff and looked really strong. Jungkook thought 'what if he's one of those people who look skinny with clothes, but without, they look strong and buff.' Jungkook shakes himself out from those thoughts and turns back to the water, about to jump. The young nan makes his way a bit closer to Jungkook, holding out his hand.
"You don't have to do this sir. We can figure something out."
"No. Just go."
"You may be able to solve your problems by jumping but what about the people you are leaving behind?"
When he said this, the first person that came to his mind was his father.
"You yourself aren't affected by it. The people around you are. The people left behind are the ones in pain. You're gonna end up watching over them in spirit form and regret what you've done. You'll see all your loved ones sad and crying, but you can't comfort them cause you're gone. So, please, take my hand."
Jungkook thought about it. His father would be sad if he lost Jungkook. Him and Jungkook are the closest to each other, like his father was to his best friend, Jungkook's aunt, before she passed away. He saw how sad his father was when he heard the news of her death. She had died in a factory accident. Jungkook didn't want his father to be sad like that again. Jungkook turns back to the young man who still had his hand out for him. Jungkook sighs and reaches out his hand to him. Their hands touch and Jungkook grips it as he turns around so he can climb back.
"Slowly," the young man says. Jungkook is turned and starts to climb back over the rail. Just as he stepped his last step, his foot slipped.